Corrupt beast
by Scardya
Summary: He was not clear how such a catastrophe had occurred. Was it an act of revenge? Tanjirou watched him writhe, convulse, and shriek in pain and suffering alongside a traumatized Kanao, while the culprit turned to ashes, satisfied and with a relieved smile on his deranged face that melted from a potent poison against demons. MANGA SPOILERS: Read at your own risk. Tanjirou x Inosuke.
1. Chapter 1

_He was not clear how such a catastrophe had occurred. Was it an act of revenge? Tanjirou watched him writhe, convulse, and shriek in pain and suffering alongside a traumatized Kanao, while the culprit turned to ashes, satisfied and with a relieved smile on his deranged face that melted from a potent poison against demons._

_"INOSUKE!" he screamed at the top of his lungs once he was out of the trance, running to his aid. He saw her face and chest tinted red, a piercing expression that covered her features and caused her eyes to go up, blank._

_An incompetent father and another deranged_

Clarifications.

Normal: current events.

_Italic: memories._

**Bold: thoughts.**

_He was not clear how such a catastrophe had occurred. Was it an act of revenge? Tanjirou watched him writhe, convulse, and shriek in pain and suffering alongside a traumatized Kanao, while the culprit turned to ashes, satisfied and with a relieved smile on his deranged face that melted from a potent poison against demons._

"_INOSUKE!" he screamed at the top of his lungs once he was out of the trance, running to his aid. He saw her face and chest tinted red, a piercing expression that covered her features and caused her eyes to go up, blank._

But ... What was going on? Kanao, who had listened and fought alongside the wild boy, was so affected that she returned to become mute.

A little while back...

The young apprentice of Shinobu arrived as soon as possible to that hall of corridors surrounded by water. A room similar to a water garden. What she saw left her with her heart in her throat. The Bug Pillar was being absorbed by the demon's body. That damn man with blonde hair and a bloodstain as decoration on his head; Douma, the Second Upper Moon. The most powerful behind the mysterious being and Muzan himself.

It was late. Shinobu was doomed. Kanao was not able to pluck her out of the demon. He died by disappearing inside his body. Filled with rage and hatred, she faced herself alone against him. It was being too tough a fight ... The enemy had taken his sword and was challenging him to approach it. It was suicide ... Until the boar boy appeared like a hurricane, full of energy and positivity, like every time he went to battle. But when he learned of Shinobu's recent death, he promised to cut him to pieces.

In a short showdown, he retrieved the girl's sword, and in duet faced him. Even being two, they were not having anything easy. There was a reason that he was a Superior Moon. In a mistake by Inosuke, the human eater took the head of the boar, leaving the face of the young man unnoticed. He was able to make sure he wasn't wearing it when he noticed more light and freshness on his skin. Douma was curiously inspecting the mask while its owner yelled at him to return it. Subsequently, he rested his rainbow eyes on the boy. There were a few brief seconds of silence, just staring into those green eyes that... he had seen before.

"Ohh... Your face... Have we met before?" he asked in that voice so terribly melodious and gentle, terrifying at how he dared to use it in such a way.

"I don't remember meeting a worm like you! Don't touch my fur with your filthy hands! " He was furious, the veins in his neck and temples were swelling.

"No..." he smiled with amusement and moved his index finger from side to side in a gesture of denial. -Yes, you know.

"I'M SAYING NO, STUPID!" -the demon did not seem to attend to reasons, and that made Inosuke piss off.

"Inosuke, calm down..." his fighting partner intervened. -Just he saying random nonsense to confuse you.

"Random?" Douma crossed her arms. "My only grace is to be serious. Also, I have a good memory. I remember my human time quite well." Without one expecting it, the demon pierced his temple with his finger and began to stir inside. Both young men were sickened by it, although the boar boy expressed rather surprise and anger. -Oh, here it is! Fifteen years ago? That's fairly recent... Let's see what you and I know each other. "He really did have a bad memory, but his memories were kept in a mental chest that he could open whenever he wanted. Without waiting any longer, he began to narrate what his brain showed him. "There is a woman ... about 17 or 18 years old. Oh, she have a baby! Ah yes ... Her husband beat her every day and her mother-in-law also harassed her daily." He paused unconsciously. "She came to me along with her baby. I welcomed her in my palace, my temple. He was so beautiful, well..." He felt lucky that he had the ability not to lose his memories completely. "I was a kind of demigod for people, they adored me. She had no family, there was no other place she could go. Her face was so wounded and swollen that it was difficult to see her true face. I was almost blind from the blows. It was so hard… " He erased his smile for the first time in all his time there. "But when I touched, she returned to normal. She was so beautiful ... She left a perpetual impression on me..." Without realizing it, he had begun to look at infinity for a second. His attention returned and focused on Inosuke. "She had the same face as you. Like two drops of water. Your mother, right? Yes, there is no doubt about that! I can see her in you just by looking into your eyes.

"I have no mother, I was raised by wild boars!" the young man did not want to pay attention to the gibberish he released, he did not want to believe it. "That has nothing to do with me!" or couldn't get something in his head to click.

"Were you given birth by a boar?" Douma was sweating cold with an expression of discomfort and humor. "But you're human, so a human should have given birth to you."

"SHUT UP, STUPID GARBAGE PIECE! GIVE ME MY FUR! -guided by stress, he launched himself blind and with his swords raised.

"Hey... Listen to the end. I think this meeting between you and me is nothing less than a miracle. "or the demon felt it. To stop the impulsive boy, he had to strike two large cuts on his chest, forming a cross. Kanao came and pulled him away from the deranged subject, the two of them kneeling in the shallow water.

"You're good?! Please calm down." She knew that anger was an obstacle.

"Listen to me." repeated the man. "I never intended to eat your mother. Having such a beautiful person by my side... made me feel good. She was the light to me, a demon so lonely and sad back then. Unfortunately, she was not very smart, that was unfortunate. But I did not care. And she had such a beautiful voice when he sang to us. It was that lullaby from Pinkie Promise , epeating over and over again."

The name of the song began to loop in the boy's head, looking without blinking and with an expression of incredulous surprise at Douma. The loop cut to make way for his forgotten memory, hearing his voice for the first time in a long time.

"_I will protect you, I promise. Until you become big and strong. Mommy will protect you. Sorry, Inosuke... You may feel lonely now, but your mother is doing her best to fill your father's place with someone who loves us, a real dad to you. Lives can be replaced. But Inosuke, mom ... will protect you._

With those last two words, he could see the woman in his mind. It was her. And he, Douma, was ...

The demon smiled pleased when he realized that the boy was beginning to understand and continued.

"Each time I sang Pinkie Promise the lyrics changed. At some point it became a people's song. It was so charming." He waited a little. "I was not going to eat it, not was I going to put a single finger on it. I planned to be with her, and she by my side until she passed away by nature, along with that baby. With you. Fulfilling her dream at last. The child, mom…" he pointed to himself. "And dad.

Kanao did not finish processing what he heard. She looked at Inosuke, still kneeling in the water and keeping his eyes on Douma. How loud was his heart beating so that the girl could hear him so explicitly? She knew it, the wild boy was about to explode, and no one knew how.

"But Kotoha, your mother... was very consistent and stubborn. "He gave a slight laugh, for he had just realized that the young man had this behavior due to genetics, not because he grew up on a mountain like an animal. "She saw me feed on my worshipers. Despite all the explanations and trust I put in Kotoha, she didn't want to listen to me... It was insult after insult, accusing me of telling horrible lies when everything I said was true. Once discovered, there was no longer any reason to hide it from her. I would never lie, but she did not want to give me a chance to be understood. He left to finish her attacks. She ran out of my temple and took you with her. Something in me broke. I followed to a cliff that bordered by a huge river. When I approached her ... without warning, without a word ... she threw you off the cliff. It was there that I lost my sanity, seeing how you fell towards certain death. For me, Kotoha had murdered my child. I killed her, and in fear, I leaned over the edge. There was nothing there. I cried alone, looking at a void in that cliff. Sadness covered everything. I remembered those tiny little hands and those eyes full of curiosity and light... I loved you as much as she did.

There was no reaction from the boy. Self-absorbed, blocked.

"If I say it as I felt it; Kotoha killed my son. I ate to his bones. If she went home, her husband would possibly kill her. And if she had been left alone she would have died on the road with you. It was very unfortunate. His life was already meaningless." There was a slight hint of rancor in his smile.

"Enough, bastard!" Kanao screamed for the sake of her friend, wanting to prevent him from breaking further inside.

Inosuke looked at the water with his hidden eyes, but spoke.

"Yes, it was a miracle to meet you here..." He cocked his head at Douma with the harshest and most hate infested expression he had ever had. "The demon that killed my mother and my friend... is right before my eyes!" He rose with poisonous energy running through his body and took up position. "I never thank anyone, but I will do it with you for making me remember. Although that is not enough! I will not only cut off your head, I will teach you what true hell is like!"

"Son, you know how to speak. But you have misconceptions about being raised by animals." Let me show you. He toyed a little with one of his two fans, which were also his weapons. -There is no heaven and hell in this world. Those places do not exist as such. They are human fantasies. I know this because humans who live humble and virtuous suffer terrible tragedies while wicked people do what they want because they live insane, interesting lives and drunk with pleasure. Mentally weak people have to think that these evil ones will go to hell when they die or they could not live with themselves. They keep it deep in their minds. Humans are pathetic..."

"Shut up, damn it! IF THERE IS NO HELL THEN I WILL CREATE ONE FOR YOU! And don't talk about my mother like she was unhappy anymore!" He launched himself into an attack again, but the demon defended himself with an icy mist. Said defense was immediately dispersed thanks to Inosuke using his swords as fans. He might not be very smart, but he was imaginative.

"Interesting. If it possible, I would love to continue playing like this with my child until I am bored."

At that moment, Kanao attacked from behind, but was intercepted and launched into the water again. Right afterward, Douma rose into the air, avoiding the fight for some reason. The boy adopted his typical annoying, childish humor and yelled at him.

"Come down, damn it! Or are you afraid?!"

"Sorry, honey. Akaza-dono has been defeated, so I can no longer have time here." He had felt the death of his partner. "But don't worry, I'll give you your fun. You can play with these guys in my place. Dad has serious business to deal with."

"IMBECILE!" he bellowed.

"Ice dolls?" the girl whispered.

Inosuke watched the creations until they were completed and they took battle position. He seemed to calm down quite a bit. He gave a quiet laugh and pointed to the one closest to him.

"What about the little one?"

And without warning, the dolls attacked brutally, baffled the two young men.

"The techniques of these toys are as powerful as mine, so you will not feel my absence as much. I will leave you here." He started to walk towards the door.

"Damn, don't run away!"

"Inosuke!" Kanao warned of a surprise attack on the aforementioned. He was able to dodge it with a back flip.

"STUPID DOLL, DON'T GET IN MY WAY!"

Douma wondered how it was that the boy was not inhaling the frozen and dangerous air he had left. The room began to frost and a huge figure of ice began to chase the boy, who upon seeing this began to run through the corridors of the huge room. "You got to be kidding! Now everything freezes ?! Don't fuck!"

"**His senses are very sharp. He can feel even the slightest change in his body right away. Great! That is a true swordsman. I will remind him then, I will not allow him to stay again catching dust on my mind.**" He thought. That blond demon had not yet left there.

"We have to hold on a little longer, we can't allow him to escape..." Kanao muttered.

"I'm going to get five more dolls. I feel so sorry... But if I don't, they will scold me." It was not going to be easy for them. They couldn't hit any of the creations.

"**Fuck, dammit! We are losing against things that are not even the real demon!**" Inosuke's head was no longer enough, the stress was increasing. "**He will escape! I have to rush!** Fuck you, scum! -and launched once more, and again blocked, now by the five new ones the demon had created.

And just then, Douma's face turned purple. It started to crack and melt. His left eye fell and hung from the socket without a support to hold it in place.

"Yes!" It was Kanao then who imitated Inosuke, going after the confused man.

Bad time for Tanjirou to appear through the door as a soul carried by the devil, as he alerted the demon that was almost attached to it and made him walk away, remaining again in the center of the room.

"Kanao, Inosuke!" He had just come out of a battle and had decided to separate to find one of his friends, and he succeeded.

They both turned to the newcomer and for a moment their eyes lit up. An act that would bring the situation to condemnation.

With one of the ice dolls, Douma grabbed the wild boy and pinned him to his side, arms raised and wrists trapped in an icy prison, as were his legs. Their swords had flown in the middle of the journey.

"No!" Tanjirou and Kanao screamed at the same time, about to pounce, albeit exhausted for obvious reasons.

The demon laid a sharp blade of ice on the trapped youth's defenseless jugular, grinning as if it wasn't slowly melting.

"One more movement and he will have no blood left to feed a common and weak demon." He forced the minors to stay in their place, anguished and desperate.

"TAKE ME OUT THAT SHIT, IT GIVES ME COLD!" he screamed like crazy, focusing on how sensitive his skin was and how easy things could feel on it. It was a disadvantage when it came to pain, it was perceived to be three times as strong as a normal person. Extreme temperatures caused the same.

"I'm not going to shut your mouth, but I'm going to get serious with you and your attitude. For your sake, don't challenge me anymore or I'll be forced to punish you.

"YOU ARE SICK OF THE HEAD, IDIOT! DON'T TREAT ME LIKE YOU HAVE POWER ABOUT ME!" He was already bordering on the edge of madness. He was going to continue screaming, but the demon did not keep his word and sealed his lips when the temperature dropped, making them stick together.

"Let him go!" the redhead threatened, nervous to see how this monster was handling his friend. Kanao had entered a kind of dangerous trance.

The demon wanted to hurry or it would be too late. He had realized that he was going to die from Shinobu's poison, that was what was causing his detachment.

"I will as soon as I have fulfilled his dream. Right, Kotoha?" He called him by his mother's name because of the similarity of his faces. Because he fulfilled her dream. And now he was going to fulfilled her child's.

"Kotoha?..." Tanjirou made a strange grimace, not understanding why called him with the name of a woman. He thought that maybe it had been mistaken for his face, it was the most logical thing to think in such a demanding situation.

Inosuke tried to imitate his best friend's famous head hit, but didn't give much results. It was easily dodged by a simple backward movement.

"Even being at my mercy you keep your fighting spirit. You are amazing. That's why I like how you grew up." he smiled with a rare sweetness, posing her rainbow eyes very kindly on the emeralds.

Tanjirou tried with her last strength to help him, to recover him. He quickly approached his target. And he could have done it if it hadn't been for the fact that he decided to ignore the frozen and slippery floor. Douma noticed this without wasting time, he reopened a bit and with his nails the wound that Inosuke had in his chest, causing him excruciating pain that made him complain even with his lips sealed. The scarlet fountain splashed on both faces.

"Your blood is my blood." The demon himself wounded the palm of his hand and touched the wound that was slowly dripping with that crimson liquid, mixing it with his own. In a normal situation there would be no effect, that act was useless even for a demon, there was no sense to do it.

"What do you do?! Wait!" -even knowing that mixing blood like that was useless, Tanjirou somehow smelled something very negative. Something very terrible.

Douma did it over time following his heels, as soon as he touched it, his body collapsed weak and limp to the ground. The ice in the entire room was breaking and disappearing. And with that, he set the wild boy free. But the young man fell to the ground, shrugging on his knees, now able to scream with his mouth wide open and his eyes shedding abundant tears. He went from being shrunk to his body starting to shake and convulse, to writhing in pain.

"INOSUKE!" The redhead ran to him and tried to hold him still in a tight hug. He glared at the demon's head, who had already lost his body, melted from the corrosion of the poison. Douma was smiling, satisfied and happy. "What have you done to him?!"

"He wants to be the strongest of all, never to be defeated. I have fulfilled his dream... like a good dad."

"What?" That monster must be delusional. At the boy's confusion, the demon continued.

"Oh, you just arrived. Let me introduce myself. I am the father of this child since his mother came to me. As a precaution, I decided to inject a tiny drop of my blood into him as a baby. Nothing would have happened if she had not been so stupid and allowed me to continue giving them love and protection. Or at least for the little one... He didn't deserve to die if his mother's neurons crossed. Oh, boy... When she flung him off, my blood still couldn't give him a resistance... I thought he was dead. But here he is now, finally living his desire. I have fulfilled my role as a father in such a dignified and exemplary manner." He spoke as if it were an everyday situation. That drove Tanjirou mad. He was shocked by what he had just heard, pale, rabid. Lots of explosive emotions, he was trying to contain. "I can't stay anymore. That woman's poison ends with me... But I'm not a loss. Muzan will notice my boy and come after him. He is very strong, I am sure he will give him a chance without thinking.

That could not be true. It couldn't, he refused. Not again. Her sister had already been converted, he had already been through the terrible situation at the beginning. He didn't want to believe that Inosuke would be the condemned now. Tears were beginning to jump as his friend continued to writhe, already hoarse.

"I will not allow them to take him away! You will never snatch it from me!" As with Nezuko, I was willing to give everything for him. Now he would want her sister's medicine more vigorously.

"There's nothing to do. He will be truly happy from now on, fighting as much as he wants and without fear of being defeated. Maybe he loses his human consciousness, or maybe he can't transmute the blood mix and die... I don't know, that's something that even we can't guess."

Tanjirou had to tighten his grip on Inosuke, who was convulsing with more and more intensity. He looked at Douma with rejection, disgust. For the first time, he felt no pity for a defeated demon.

"You'll be where you should be, damn..." he received as a last answer a sweet laugh before the whole head vanished between ash and viscosity.


	2. II Demonic beast

Kanao watched the scene in a state of mental block, unable to think. He saw lifeless in his narrowed pupils how Tanjirou tried to bring back the other boy. Both, inside, preferred that Inosuke survive, even if he had to live like Nezuko. They couldn't bear the thought of him leaving them forever. The girl's eyes began to moisten when she heard the pleas of the swordsman of water and flame, who with a broken and anguished voice, begged him to fight to survive. But the other young man could not hear him. Her tremors and convulsions continued unabated. At that point they were beginning to deprive him of the act of breathing. Inosuke's wise body strained his lungs in desperate attempts to receive oxygen. There was no shouting from him, no complaints. Only the sound of a forced windpipe that prevented the complete passage of air.

A sudden explosion resounded throughout the building. It came from outside. Where Muzan had been trapped. Causing confusion for all the hunters inside, the space was manipulated.

"What's happening now?" Tanjirou made his eyes travel around the strangely moving environment. They were taken to the room along with the rest of the hunters, where Ubuyashiki always met them in front of the garden. The door to it was closed.

After the moment of confusion, the Pillars, together with Zenitsu looked at each other, still unaware of the situation that kept Kanao silent and scared the redhead. Giyuu rushed into the garden. It was night yet, but there was no sign of demons, nor that there had been a confrontation before. Muzan had escaped with the rest of Lunas. No one could believe it, so they imitated the man and came out, only being able to perceive the good condition of the garden and a starry sky.

"What the hell has happened? Kibutsuji escaped?" Sanemi shamelessly let out her rage.

"Damned! ..." Obanai murmured.

Two screams alerted the pillars. Zenitsu had gone to meet his friends and what he saw plunged him into panic, causing him to screech. The other was from Tanjirou, since under the pale skin of his wounded companion the ramifications and veins marked his blue tone on every visible surface. It seemed to have been wrapped in thousands of threads of that color.

"Oh my God!" Mitsuri raised her feminine voice, frightened by the boy's condition.

Giyuu and Uzui were faster than the rest in approaching.

"Position him sideways!" The extravagant-looking man followed his own order with the help of the Water Pillar, who pulled Tanjirou back a bit. The redhead was not in the best mental condition to manipulate his friend's suffering body.

Inosuke's eyes returned to his position, but he was still in the same state, or even worse.

"Aoi! Someone find Aoi!" It was the first woman with medical knowledge that came to his mind. Giyuu did not usually lose his constant pasotismo and tranquility. He hinted that the situation was very serious despite not knowing why.

Tanjirou stood by Kanao and Zenitsu, who were as pale as Inosuke himself. It had to be supportive for the two of them, he couldn't get carried away by emotional pain. Impossible for him. Silently, his face was soaked.

It was Genya who handled the order despite being badly injured. Everyone there was, really. Some more than others, but he did not compare with the young man who trembled on the ground. At the moment, they could do nothing but keep him on his side, in a posture of security. The redheaded swordsman picked up the boar head that had also been carried with them and made a gap between the two Pillars. He put the mask behind the owner's head, letting his dark hair touch the grayish fur.

"Tanjirou." was called by Giyuu. "Tell us how this happened."

The aforementioned shook his head slightly before answering.

"I couldn't say ... It was all very fast and sudden. He and Kanao were fighting the Second Moon ... I arrived when there was no longer a battle and everything happened very quickly. Still ..." He wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "... I still don't understand everything that demon did and said." the poor young man was still blocked. "But Kanao does know, she was there before."

An awkward silence formed in the room. The Pillars expected an answer, but it never came.

"Kanao?" It had to be Gyomei who caught his attention when he noticed something wrong with her.

More silence. The girl did not react. His empty eyes expressed well that his head had been bolted.

"Nevermind. You will tell us when you recover mentally from this. Have faith, Kamado."

"Tanjirou!" screamed the blonde, taking their present glances. "I don't hear... I don't hear anything..."

No one knew how to give real meaning to those words. Had he lost his hearing ability from his injuries? It could easily have been hit on the head. It was the most logical thing to think, until Uzui looked at Inosuke to supervise. His half-open eyes stared blankly. Now they realized that all kinds of movement or spasm was gone.

"It can't be..." The flamboyant Pillar patted his white cheek. "Boy! Hey, boy!" unanswered. "Come on, don't ramble on, stay sober." nothing.

Giyuu soon put her ear to the boy's chest. He withdrew it after a few seconds, still looking at him. He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. What Zenitsu said began to be understood.

After a brief period of incredulous silence, Mitsuri broke it at the start of a loud, high-pitched cry. It was enough momentum to make everyone feel as affected as she was. Zenitsu the only one that equaled it in volume and wasting tears. Tanjirou rested her forehead on Inosuke's shoulder, her eyes covered in shadow and darkness. His hands furiously wrinkled the fur skirt that covered his friend's hip.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Her broken voice whispered in pain. "If I hadn't made that mistake when I went after you, you wouldn't..." he closed her damp eyelids with excessive pressure. "It's my fault..." He raised his head as he felt Uzui's hand on it in an attempt to support him.

"We can't leave it here." Muichiro spoke, which made the atmosphere even sadder.

An intense puff of air being suddenly inspired made the group jump in their respective places. The green eyes had been opened much more at the same time, returning to be operative. They had mistaken certain death for brief cardiac arrest caused by the pain and anxiety the wild boy had inside. Unfortunately, the thousands of imaginary swords returned to continue piercing his entire body without stopping. It was impossible to bear, less considering the extreme sensitivity he possessed. He screamed once more, already losing count of how many shrieks like that he had given in such a short time. His voice torn and flooded with suffering shook everyone present.

"Calm, boy! Easy, breathe!" The Sound Pillar tried to make itself heard through advice.

"Inosuke, hold on a little longer!" Tanjirou looked everywhere, anguished, as he took his hand.

"Why hasn't Genya come with Aoi yet?!" Zenitsu was no better than him. He had devoured his nails in the course of the wait.

The bluish tippeds young man suppressed his voice as best he could and forced himself to sit up enough to support his hands and bear the weight on his trembling arms. For this he had to separate his hold on Tanjirou. He could not be silent, the second he got his posture, he raised his head a little along with another piercing scream and a sea of painful tears.

"Inosuke, please lie down!" Tanjirou tried to lie down him down again. He received in response an emerald gaze that begged for mercy. He could see how his dry mouth opened with the intention of emitting more than just loud sounds.

"K-kill me...

It was the turn of the redhead's heart to stop, more metaphorically. But that's how it felt. Both young men stared at each other, but Inosuke's were getting lost again. Before anyone else could react he retrieved them again. It seemed like a cruel game controlled by someone ruthless who loved to rejoice in the terror of others.

"Don't say those things! You will be fine! Genya is going to come with Aoi and she's going to save you!" He did not allow a single glimpse of darkness to enter the room.

The blonde approached in a hurry, his face flooded.

"We hardly ever get along, you are a stupid abuser, but don't go! I don't want, I don't want!"

The green orbs stared at both partners, struggling to stay in their natural position. Inosuke awkwardly opened his mouth again, ready to give her an answer even if it cost him more stab wounds. He could not do it. He was scared to notice how his gums were punctured and how he was blind for a second. Why? Was it that life planned to surprise him with more punishments? His friends turned pale immediately. The blond walked away fearfully and Tanjirou trembled slightly. Giyuu changed places to see the reason for his reactions. What he witnessed on the boy's pale face chilled him.

"Everyone, stay away from him!" If the Water Pillar said so, it must be very serious.

The rest made room, scared and confused. The young man's voice, already at its limit, continued to rise to express how its interior burned like hell itself.

"What do you know, Giyuu?" Muichiro asked, feeling something terrifying was coming. The aforementioned did not immediately respond.

"We are going to lose him, but not by death." The Pillar drew his sword.

As soon as he heard the sound of the blade, Tanjirou clung to him to prevent any movement.

"NO!" The momentum brought them both down, and they didn't come to their senses until they heard bone-like noises breaking and splashing.

Inosuke had started vomiting blood, choking on her for his internal desires to keep screaming. The pain had increased to catastrophic levels. If he continued in that way for much longer, he would end up dying for real. Converting was random. He didn't know it was caused by two protuberances that wanted to be born from his shoulder blades. He was unable to breathe until a thick horn bone bent up on each side of his back.

"We can't allow this! He's converting!" Sanemi was the next to threaten to cut off his head before he could become dangerous.

"Wait, there is no evidence that he is going to be a threat!" the Pillar of love dared to struggle with him.

"It's the boar boy! You forget it?! He is always a threat! Always attack whoever can! Being human was already a danger, imagine how a demon!"

"What's going on here?!" Aoi arrived accompanied by Genya. Both swallowed their own hearts before the present scene and after a new vocal tear gave way to more bones in the same way in ankles, knees and elbows. The blood did not stop flowing for each one. "OH GOD!" It was impossible that she could help.

Red symbols that now marked the skin of his left arm, chest, cheeks, bridge of nose, and each birth of his body horns, luckily, had been painless. Every time he opened his mouth to breathe in, they could see those huge, sharp, deadly fangs. The circumference of his pupils was lost to make way for new, elongated and vertical ones. It was not the only thing that changed in that area. The sclerae had darkened to dull black. His legs and forearms had acquired their own brown fur, and the nails on their limbs reached ghastly lengths, reds, as if they were the claws of a predator. The boar's head he was inadvertently touching was shaded and ran up his skin like a parasite until it reached his head. Above his grew the fangs of her stuffed jaws and two smaller ones. The boar's skin lengthened with an unexpected wild majesty. At the same time, the boy's hair grew nonstop until it reached his hips. The fangs of the head were so huge that they looked like big horns from his own skull.

All of those changes had taken less than 10 seconds. Inosuke fell completely silent, head down and his arms still shaking supporting his body. His breathing was slowly normalizing. Tanjirou walked slowly a couple of steps and raised his hand, trying to catch up with him.

"Inosuke?..."

"Watch out!" Uzui launched himself against the redhead and they moved away, taking a thunderous hit.

The swordsman did not understand his reaction. Not until he noticed how the savage boy had driven his claws into the wood of the floor right where he stood before, having smashed it to pieces.

"IT'S OVER! I'M GONNA END THIS SHIT!" Sanemi led anyone who got in the way and attacked the newborn demon. He went from behind, hoping with great certainty that he would not have time to turn. Big mistake. Inosuke turned his head and nailed his number-marked emeralds. "What...?!" He was not able to finish the sentence. With a slap it was anchored to the wall. He coughed in pain, never thought that a single swipe could hide so much power. But it was the boar boy who it was, from the beginning exuded a huge force.

In the face of the obvious aggression there could be no more doubts. The Pillars took up positions. They were really sorry, they didn't want to, but they had to put their emotions aside and ensure safety. And with Inosuke there they weren't going to have it.

"No, he just got scared and defended himself! You can't do this!" Tanjirou ran up and stopped the closest Pilar; Uzui.

"SHIT! HE HAS BECOME THE SECOND MOON, HE'LL SLAUGHTER US!" Sanemi tried to detach himself from the hole in the wall.

Everyone blanched at the knowledge. They were aware of the power of the Upper Moons, and also of Inosuke's personal power. Both forces mixed... Who the hell was going to be able to face such a living atrocity and not die in two minutes? Zenitsu kept screaming along with Aoi's voice, on the verge of collapse. They was hurting the young wild man's ears.

His reasoning was opaque. He reacted to that as if the blond was trying to attack his ears. Without waiting for anything, he lunged at him with his jaws and paws ready to tear him apart. It emitted a roar not human at all, causing immobility in its prey due to fear. He was about. Just as his fingertips brushed each other's clothes, Tanjirou rammed him into the air and slammed him between wall and floor.

"CARE, STUPID! THAT'S NO LONGER YOUR FRIEND, IT'S A HUNGRY BEAST!" the Pillar of the wind managed to free itself. "If you aren't going to stop hindering I'll take you ahead!"

The demon rose with such force that it launched the other two on impulse. And unable to continue avoiding it, a desperate and uncontrolled battle began. Every hit, every cut he received was healed immediately. His skin, though easy to penetrate, was impossible to amputate because of it. The slightest thread of blood served to reconnect them. Although they had not amputated anything. One after the other or all at once, it didn't matter how they came at him. His defense was perfect, and his attack terrifying.

The Pillars gradually lost their strength very quickly. Already from before they came wounded, they were not in a position to face such a rival, not even all together. But it was all for security. Slow and clumsy, they couldn't do anything else. Was it the end of every person present in that room? Even Tanjirou and Zenitsu were beaten. Aoi had taken Kanao away from the place. He was going to devour them all and was not going to leave even the bones. Just as Douma did with her mother. At the image of the blond demon, Inosuke paused for a second, causing uncertainty.

"He has ... stopped." Muichiro whispered.

"Best time to take advantage and finish him!" Sanemi suggested.

Uzui was suffering for that, he couldn't look at the demon's effeminate face, which had practically not changed except for the pupils, sclera and the drawings on his skin. It hurt, he appreciated the boy very much. But for that very reason he decided to be the one who tried to make him rest in peace.

"I'm sorry." he murmured with the sword in front, directing it to his neck.

The boar demon grabbed the sword blade and stopped it regardless of the deep cut it had caused. He stuck his emerald orbs into the others, having to raise his head due to the difference in heights. Uzui was petrified by that intense, beautiful and shining gaze. How could a demon still keep shining on it? He ended up breaking the sword, ignoring the pain and blood that flowed from his wound, which would soon close.

It was over. It's end was agreed. There was nothing else he could do, and none of those present either. No one could stand or move. He watched as Inosuke was lost watching him bleed. It was the nature of every demon; blood and human flesh.

"Uzui!" Mitsuri used his little energy to cry her friend even before he was killed.

The boar demon almost pricked his fangs into his shoulder and ripped it off. He brushed it only with the tips before standing completely still under the stupor of the rest.

"Inosuke..." Tanjirou was as exhausted and sad as an expectant.

"He hasn't bitten him..." Zenitsu completed, also a mess.

The furred youth's expression changed from menacing to anguished and horrified. Uzui was fortunate to see the face change in the foreground. He was there, Inosuke was there, fighting to regain control against the murderous nature. He was able to step back slowly and with much effort, since he had no complete power over his actions and thoughts. He released a scream mixed between an animal sound and his own voice. He had been battling two fights at the same time. One against swordsmen and one against himself. To everyone's surprise, he began to self-harm in a desperate and deranged way. The entire torso was cut severely with the claws. Damage after damage at the speed he was going, didn't give his body time to heal.

"What are he doing?..." the blonde in shock managed to ask under his breath, trying to understand.

Tanjirou could not bear to see him, he did not want to see himself hurt himself with anger. He could smell it... There was fear, a lot of fear unleashed from Inosuke. Repentance, anger, melancholy.

"He's trying..." the scratches did not stop, little by little he lost strength and ability to stay upright. He tripped over himself. Blood spurted non-stop since he started his madness. He had lost too much. "... He wants to faint with blood loss." Hurt. It hurt so much... His heart was clenching in such an unbearable way. She got up as best she could and limped toward him, ignoring the warnings from the Pillars. When he reached his side, Inosuke relented. He fell collapsed, unconscious, into the arms of the redhead, who went to the ground with him because of the little force he could exert.

Maybe... there was an opportunity to let him live.

Tanjirou sat up as best he could, taking the wall for support. He pulled back the boar head to take a closer look at the peaceful and ironically angelic face of the boy who rested his head on his lap with all that scattered hair. He sighed loudly, finally calm.

"Okay, Kamado..." Sanemi growled. "I will trust that he can learn to control himself... If not, I won't hesitate to do whatever it takes to expel him from this world."

It was correct like that, Tanjirou didn't pay much attention to his words. He was going to take care of Inosuke of his own free will. Nothing else mattered. His goal remained the same; get a cure for your sister. And now, also for the wild young man.


	3. III I'm in you, use it

He woke slowly, blinking several times with extreme parsimony. Lying on his right side and on top of an old futon, he rubbed one of his eyes. He wasn't quite aware of the details, but he could tell that he was in what looked like a gnawed-out cabin. He stood up and searched the ground with his emerald gaze for the boar head. He couldn't find it. He pursed his lips. He began to remove the weak, cracked furniture.

"Where the hell is it?" he grunted to himself. At what point had he lost it? Did he have to go out with his face uncovered? Was it serious? He trusted the appearance of his face only to Monitsu and Gonpachiro, occasionally to some random pillar or comrade, but out of obligation. "Is this a fucking joke?" his tone was rising and becoming more irascible. He didn't last more than a minute searching. He found a note in female print that said "**Don't move from the house for anything, it's dangerous. Don't go outside. We'll come for you the next night.**" He roared from underneath and kicked a chair, which shattered because it was so old. What the hell? He couldn't read!

He snorted annoyingly. His mask wasn't in the cottage, he was sure of that. He had no choice but to go outside. He stepped on the green grass under the only light of the moon and the stars that looked slightly through the trees. He didn't know the exact place where he was, but he did recognize the forest that opened up in front of him. He was relatively close to the Butterfly Estate. Who had been the foolish prankster who had left him stranded in such a filthy hovel? As soon as he saw them, he would give him the thrashing of their lifes. The responsible was going to pay for doing that to the great king of the mountain. The strange thing was that none of his friends had refused to play such a practical joke and let them do it. Those two were going to be scolded out too. He had to teach them a lesson, his subordinates couldn't behave that badly. They would be punished.

"Stupid Kochitsu and Tankuro..." his vein swelled as he walked through the trees, thinking about the situation. "I'm sure they took off my mask. THEY' ILL BE IDIOTS!" He jumped only to stomp the ground in a tantrum. He started kicking stones as he advanced. He was going for the fifteenth print run, but stopped. He remained motionless, feeling on his skin that he was not alone. In part he appreciated it, I needed to unload the inconvenience had, and a fight was perfect. Although on the other, he had the uncertainty of being watched and at the mercy of anyone. He turned his head in all directions, sharpening his pupils at the slightest movement. He noticed a slight current ahead ahead. One that only he could have witnessed thanks to his sense of touch. For some reason, her body had just flooded with fear. Since when was he afraid of something without having seen it? It was stupid. Eyes wide, he shook his head slowly. He found two scarlet irises and two sharp pupils that stabbed at him like daggers, piercing everything in his path. His heart went up to his throat and a wave of scorching heat not at all pleasant covered him. He backed away as fast as he could. The short wavy black hair that was under an elegant hat danced with the night breeze, blending gloomily with the stillness of the man who looked at him with contempt, madness and arrogance. "Kibutsuji..." he growled in a partially more serious tone, furrowing his fine eyebrows and almost showing his teeth in a grimace of displeasure and hatred.

"Stupid boy..." he spat the words as if the venom of a snake was treated. "That ungrateful Douma..."

Inosuke put his hands on the handles of his swords, ready to unsheathe himself at any moment. He touched his chest, noticing a closed cross-shaped wound. He gritted his teeth as he pressed on his jaw, tightening his facial muscles further.

"How brave to come here alone. Or have you forgotten the pets at home?" He would never give up his aggressive attitude no matter how much his fingers trembled. He was risking his life and still dared to challenge. Everyone knew that his fort wasn't thinking... He was unable to see anything, but a movement of Muzan's arm from that distance was enough for him to make a long cut on his cheek. Feeling the immediate sting, he brought his hand to the area, staining it with his blood. He was observed and roared under her breath. "That's playing dirty! Don't be a coward!"

"Insolent ... Do you think that by being more powerful than before you can defeat me?" A cold, calculating laugh came from the tall man's lips. "I'm not leaving empty-handed. Why have your friends abandoned you in a shabby, damp, and uncomfortable cottage? Could it be that they feel more fear than trust towards you?"

The boy blinked rapidly, reacting with confusion to his words.

"No, they adore me because I'm their leader!" He raised his arms with his swords in a victorious and proud gesture. "You won't achieve anything by lying about my relationships, I'm nice!" He hit his chest vigorously.

"If they adore you so much, why have they left you here?"

There I had caught him. Even if it was a joke, it was too offensive, as if those who made it were trying to make him feel negative things, like the recent anger he had had when realizing where he was. He bit her lower lip without opening his mouth, clenching her swords.

"You don't know anything, shut up!" He had great courage to shout like that to the strongest demon being alone.

"Shut me up?..."

Again, it was impossible to see him move. From one second to the next he was being pressed against the trunk of a tree, seized by the man's bony hand. He didn't touch the ground with his feet. Was squeezing too much, he was short of breath. He could feel the foreign nails sink into his skin, to which he emitted a stifled moan. He raised his swords and prepared to cut off his arms in one swift motion. Before he could lay his blades on the demon's limbs, he was powerfully flung elsewhere. He brutally hit the ground and rolled until he regained control of his body. He spread his legs flush with the ground, hammering his feet. He skidded backward with it until it stopped dragging. He touched his neck unconsciously, assuring his brain that it was still attached to his head and torso. Kibutsuji seemed to be looking at him closely. There was silence.

"Do you think you did well?" He spoke calmly, but he inspired so much fear.

He watched the situation with his mouth ajar, confused, but attentive. It would be useless to attack the newly arrived demon, it wasn't entirely real, so he assumed that Kibutsuji would don't it either. And so it was, he didn't even bother to get close.

"It isn't what you think, lord Muzan."I didn't do it to give the Pillars another demon weapon against you." he pretended to breathe the fresh forest air. In a blink, positioned herself behind the boy, squatting down and hugging him around the waist. This time, the young man didn't run away, he knew that he could not be hurt despite feeling the touch. He wouldn't risk changing his position with Kibutsuji in front. "He wanted to be strong and invincible."

"You have forgotten the detail that you yourself were carrying mine when reacting his body. You were the Second Moon. Do you know the consequences of this? The consequences of mixing blood instead of biting him?" The other let him continue his talk. "You aren't aware... The slayer has three different bloods, and two of them are ours. Do you realize the creature you just created?"

Douma turned a deaf ear and brought her transparent lips close to the boy's ear.

"An advice." whisper. "Remember that I am in you. Use that."

"What?!" That had left him stunned, causing him to turn to face him. He wasn't there. Had disappeared.

"It doesn't matter, nothing changes." the man murmured. Before the youngest could turn around, he approached with superhuman speed and kicked the ribs.

With a heartbreaking scream, Inosuke flew a few meters to fall and repeat the previous scene where he had been thrown. Once he stopped rolling, he leaned on his hands and looked up, having before him the mask that had fallen from his head. He felt a little stupid for not realizing that he was wearing it all along. But... Looking at it better, he knew it was logical not to notice. It wasn't his usual mask that covered his face. It was a boar head without a lower jaw, with four tusks, two of them gigantic, and with long fur that looked like the tail of a dress made of hair. In the same position he also looked his hands. With a pointy bone on each and covered in more hair that didn't look human. The scariest thing was her nails. Long, sharp and dark reddish. And next to it, long bluish strands of hair that rose to black.

"Wha-AAH!" He rolled of his own accord to the side, desperately. Kibutsuji almost managed to step on his head with his boot. "MISERABLE, YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!" he complained as he regained his offensive posture.

"That's the idea." Her scarlet gaze never stopped being petrifying. The boy tried not to look him in the eye because of it, it made him feel distrustful of himself when facing him. "Although you won't die, no matter how much I break it."

He was tired of the situation, he wasn't going to allow another second of humiliation. Without hesitation, he threw himself angrily at his enemy with his weapons raised, ready to rip his head off.

He walked at a leisurely pace through the corridors of the Butterfly estate. It was still a little longer before he was completely healthy again, just like the rest. He decided to stay in place until he fully recovered along with Zenitsu, while the Pillars, despite being in the same situation, decided to return to their routine. The news of Shinobu's death did not help the general positivity return. Long before they lost Rengoku. Now they had lost the Bug Pillar. And by sheer luck, Muichiro didn't end up keeping the deceased company. He was the only one of the professional swordsmen who did want to stay more at rest, his injuries were not enough for him to walk so calmly around. They were all messed up for three weeks. They would have been one or almost two at most if it were not for the unexpected situation of violence to which they were subjected.

After spending a long time with Nezuko and leaving to let her rest, he knocked on the door of one of the rooms and heard a slight "come in". He entered the room and closed.

"Good Morning." He approached the bed where the Pillar lay smiling. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine." Muichiro wasn't very talkative, didn't he pay much attention to things. Normally he found himself in his own world.

"What about your injuries?"

"They still don't heal completely. That's why I'm still here." He didn't show any kind of emotion in particular. He was like that. He received a warm look from Tanjirou.

"I'm glad they're improving. It doesn't matter if they heal slow." He dragged a chair over and sat down near the bed. His smile faded and he showed a hint of guilt. "I really am sorry about what happened.

The Pillar watched him for a few seconds before answering.

"It wasn't your fault.

"Yes, it was. I caused the Second Moon to have an advantage."

"We will talk about that in a meeting." He made it clear that this wasn't the right time to tell it. It had to be in the presence of everyone, it was more efficient like that and it didn't have to be constantly repeating itself.

The boy offered no answer. He wasn't going to force the situation any further, but in his head he couldn't help but relive it over and over again, seeing all the things he could have done to keep it from happening. He was demonstrating exemplary emotional resistance. Muichiro thought that in the future he could become a good Pillar.

"I'll see him now." the small confession was important enough for the other to decide to show attention.

"Be careful. As much as he are supposed to be a little aware, he are still free to do anything."

Tanjirou regained his friendly face and nodded.

"I'll be careful." He got up from his seat and left the chair in its respective place. He headed for the exit and gave him one last look. "I hope you get well soon." said that, he went out and closed behind him.

It was painful. It didn't matter if three weeks had passed, it was still heartbreaking for him because of the enormous burden on his shoulders. He wasn't sure he could forgive himself one day. To himself, he had completely condemned his friend. Closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. The throat didn't stop feeling pressured since then. His chest was tight and uncomfortable. At no time did he manage to get rid of those insufferable symptoms. Constantly had an almost hopeless urge to cry like crazy, but he couldn't afford it that much. He thought that perhaps Zenitsu's company would help dispel him a little. He deviated his trajectory without losing his true objective. He returned to the nursing room where the blonde had just woken up in one of the beds. He saw him rubbing his eyes with the sleeves of his pijama. Outfit that he also wore.

"Tanjirou?" he yawned, watching him arrive. "Where you come from?"

"I went to visit Nezuko and Muichiro-san. He's much better." sat down on the edge of the mattress where his friend lay.

"Oh that's good." He smiled slightly, still clouded with sleep.

"Zenitsu." called him in a somewhat more serious tone than usual. He inadvertently caused the boy to tense up and catch some unease.

"W-what?..." didn't like the way he'd named him, it seemed like he was going to scold him.

"Can you come with me to see Inosuke?"

The blonde's breathing stopped and his skin paled, beginning to fall prey to a slight and comical tremor.

"Why?..." There was no need for Tanjirou to smell her scent, it could be seen with the naked eye that he was eating away at his fear.

"Oh, it's not for anything special. I understand that you aren't comfortable near him. Nothing happens." He showed one of his magnificent and understanding smiles. He knew the relationship between those two and they had never been treated each other along in a calm way, it was normal that in his situation he feared more.

Zenitsu fell into silence, still watching the boy with concern. He was aware that he hadn't visited him before because of the injuries, and that the butterfly girls weren't allowed to leave the room for any reason. Until the day before, they gave them the go-ahead, but it was too late to go anywhere.

"Are you sure to go? You don't know how he's going to react... He's a demon, maybe he can't recognize anyone anymore." regretted having to tell him so explicitly about the possible reality. Anyway, he knew it was in vain. Tanjirou was too stubborn, knew him well.

"I'll make him recognize me then." He didn't lose hope that his memory was still present, somewhere in his consciousness. He got up, completely determined. "I'll be careful, I promise." Again that smile full of confidence. He made the lightning swordsman tighten his lips and bite his tongue. Walked in leaps and bounds towards the door, anxious.

"Wait." he roared a little under his breath, annoyed at being convinced. He mimicked the boy, getting out of bed and following in his footsteps. "Yes, I go." he didn't want to do it. Unfortunately, he would not be a good friend if he didn't endorse Tanjirou in case something happened. And because of his mental health, he hoped not.

"Thanks, Zenitsu." He patted his shoulder in gratitude and support, as he was aware of the tremendous effort he was making not to leave him alone.

All along the way there was deathly silence. The redhead slayer didn't mind, but the other was shivering more and more and gradually changing his expression the closer they got. He was terrified. In a few minutes they stopped at a door. The flame and water swordsman closed his eyes and sighed deeply to control his heartbeat. He wouldn't lie to himself, was also somewhat fearful. Behind him, the blond had begun to resemble a flan of tremors hitting. Even the tears of tension were jumping. Without waiting any longer, Tanjirou opened and took only two steps inside, followed by Zenitsu, who hooked like a tick to his pijama.

The curtains had been closed to prevent the sun from seeping in, being useful enough that at least not everything was black and having to go blind. It was visible, but dark. Conditions were such as in Nezuko's room. Zenitsu closed the door as quietly as possible, still looking like a scared kid. They slowly approached the bed, where a body could be seen under the covers. Something closer could see Inosuke asleep. They couldn't see it, but his clothes had been replaced by the same hospital pijama. So he did seem human again. The huge, haunting fur of the boar head lay on a nightstand, along with the rest of the stuff. The new long hair cascaded down the edges of the mattress until it rested on the floor. The blonde avoided a growl in anger, for a moment ignoring fear. Inside his yellow head he screamed why the hell on earth he had a beautiful girl's face. It made him mad that he had that face as a boy. It wasn't fair that he was drawn to such a pretty face and that it wasn't a real woman. It made him very angry. However, Tanjirou was not left alone with his face adorned with strokes similar to typical tribal bodypaint. He looked down at his hands. From there it was where he stopped looking human. Those nails... He could swear that with a soft touch he could scratch the wood deeply. Now that they could take a closer look, they noticed the dark fur on the backs of their white hands, from which protruded a tiny horn-shaped bone in each. The brown fur went up his forearms and were lost under the sleeves. The boy redhead remembered two of those larger bones on his back. Wondered how he could lie on his back. Had he punctured the mattress with them?

"Okay, we've already seen him, can we go now?" Zenitsu spoke in breathy whispers. He didn't want to awaken what he considered to be a beast and be attacked. Tanjirou turned his head and narrowed his eyes with a very slight frown, questioning his friend a bit. This made the blonde cry waterfalls of surrender. "Damn..." He fell silent when he saw that the sleeping boy's expression became anguished and he began to sweat a little, showing fear, anxiety on his face. "W-what is wrong?..."

The young man with the scar knelt and propped his elbows on the bed, trying not to catch any black or bluish strands. Brought his head closer to that of the converted boy under Zenitsu's altered behavior.

"I think he's having a nightmare..." suggested. He put his hand on the arm of the boy who seemed to be suffering, serious and worried. "Inosuke, can you hear me?" he spoke in a slow, well-vocalized tone, without raising his voice. It was like a breeze for the blonde's overdeveloped ears. "Inosuke." even if it was crazy, he was trying to wake him up. He didn't want to allow after all that had happened to him to continue having bad experiences even in dreams. "Wake up, Inosuke. Whatever it's, it isn't real." stood up and hunched over him, gently patting his cheek. There he understood the detail that his face wasn't painting, it was really his skin.

"Don't wake him up!" Zenitsu was ready to run as soon as he saw him open his eyes. It was ignored.

With each passing second, the demon was breathing faster. Up to the point of hyperventilating. The blonde was dying of a thousand emotions, both for fear that he would wake up and for that misinterpretable and hot expression that raised his heat. He covered his face with smoke from his ears and began to writhe, dancing anything that wasn't very artistic.

"Inosuke!" He shook his tense body as he gave several thrusts to his arm. Nothing. "INOSUKE!" The last push, violent and sudden, managed to make him open his eyes, without having yet emerged from the nightmare.

Above him was Tanjirou, looking at him from above. He didn't see him. There was no Gonpachiro there. It was Kibutsuji about to devour his neck. His green eyes gleamed with supernatural intensity and he screamed angrily as he launched himself on the swordsman. Zenitsu screeched when he saw and ran to ask for help, the two of them couldn't fight yet, it would cost them their lives.

Astride the redhead boy, Inosuke looked at him with unimaginable contempt, showing how terrifying his huge fangs were. He didn't have the number in his eyes, but the typical demon pupils. His hands tightened on Tanjirou's throat, strangely weak despite appearing to do so with all his might. A stranglehold that hurt a little, but did not deny him the passage of air. What caused him the most pain was that look. He knew I wasn't really sending it to him, but he was receiving it anyway. He couldn't resist to be seen like this, his stomach clenched.

"Inosuke..." Similarly, talking to the pressured area, even if only slightly, was difficult. He saw him raise a hand and tighten his fingers. Did he want to cut off Tanjirou's head with his nails? Could he? What a silly question. Of course he could, they were longer and sharper than the rest of the demons, perhaps due to their wild characteristics. But he hesitated because of the little pressure the other boy could exert. He watched that dangerous hand rush toward him. Just in case, held an alert hand to stop him.

Halfway there, the threatening arm fell deadly onto Tanjirou's chest, making a slight light slapping sound. Those green eyes were slowly closing, until they were sealed again. His entire body collapsed onto the stranger, hitting his head against the redhead boy shoulder in the fall. He froze, and the other swordsman tried to assimilate and think. This, unconsciously, hugged him a little more above the waist. He dared not move it. However, there was no danger whatsoever, so he would wait for Zenitsu's arrival with someone to secure the situation. He closed his eyelids and breathed calmly, forming a smile on his lips without realizing it. His heart was glad to be like this. Even though Inosuke's body couldn't emit that much heat than before, he didn't care. His scent remained the same, scent hadn't changed. Only the demon scent had been added, nothing more.

At that rate, he would also end up falling asleep in such a posture.


	4. Predator

The most enjoyable five minutes he had had in a long time. He felt comfortable. It didn't matter how hard the ground was, or that the weight of the other boy pressed on him. Somehow, he felt fulfilled. Had closed his eyes for a while, waiting. He almost falled asleep, but the slightly rusty sound of the door opening made him slowly open his eyelids. Turned his head towards Aoi, who had been warned by Zenitsu.

"What the hell happened here, huh?" The young woman put her fists on her hips, slightly pissed off. In one of her hands held a syringe with a small cap that protected a possible needle.

"It was nothing." He woke up a little upset. Tanjirou smiled as he always did, although this time it emitted much more light than usual.

"What do you mean a little?!" The blonde pulled at his own hair.

"Well, he lunged at me and then fell asleep again. I didn't know if moving him would cause anything, so I decided to wait like this until Zenitsu came." he explained.

Aoi sighed, rubbing her forehead with excessive energy. She put away the syringe and approached them.

"Help me." The girl withdrew the demon from Tanjirou, avoiding touching the sharp points of those body horns. The redhead boy heeded, getting up and placing his hands under Inosuke's legs and lower back. "Wait, don't catch him." The demon was held in such a way that he was in a sitting posture, although his head fell forward. "Watch this..."

Zenitsu's curiosity got the better of him and he leaned over Aoi.

The outer bones of his shoulder blades were freezing entirely. Until they were nothing more than pure ice, with no bony body underneath. Under the stares of disbelief and amazement, they broke down into tiny shiny pieces that immediately melted after two seconds. There were only two circular scars left on his skin and the nightgown with holes in the areas.

"This needs to be studied further..." She knew how, but it could be very dangerous, so decided to postpone it until she made sure that it wasn't a threat.

Tanjirou transformed his face into a serious one. He had seen that ice power before. Of the demon that converted him. Pressed his lips and cursed himself as remembered the mishap and that the blood of that wretch was still working, but within his best friend.

"It's like the power that the Upper Second Moon used... But you're right, you have to find out how it works." With a slight signal, indicated to the girl that he was ready. They raised the wild young man and put him back on the bed.

"You were lucky that only half an hour passed since I gave him a sedative. If you had come an hour later, you probably wouldn't be on your feet now." Aoi warned.

"Why?" the blonde wanted to find out everything he could. Caution was his greatest interest at the moment, other than delighting in her feminine voice.

Both boys watched as the young nurse pulled out the same syringe she had previously stored.

"I brought this in case he was awake when I arrived. And hopefully, prevent from he destroying you." she put it away again. "Normally I inject one dose a day, always in the morning. It reduces his motor skills, his strength and regeneration. If he woke up and attacked someone, couldn't face for long. He'll be able to do anything, run, jump... Until fight, but he won't win even remotely because tiredness will come soon. But since you are also weak... "she paused. "I have reduced his abilities as much as possible. At most, he'll have the same as when it was human..." they both listened with enough interest. "He have fallen asleep on you because during the first hour the effect is very strong and causes a lot of drowsiness."

"Is it always going to be like this, based on injections?" the idea of going through that every day was very hard.

"Until we ensure that he's 100% on our side." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Zenitsu drooled with every gesture and word, muttering under his breath how pretty and smart she was. "If there are no more problems I'ill continue with my work. I have to register that he has woken up for the first time since that day..." the two young men nodded and she left, closing the door behind her and without seeing the yellow-headed man with a loving face waving his hand in farewell.

"I told you nothing was wrong." The redhead boy sighed lightly and sat down on the edge of the mattress. He made Zenitsu turn around and leave his shameful attitude.

"Didn't you hear her? There was a chance that he wouldn't fall asleep so soon and it would hurt you so much!"

"But it didn't happen."

The blonde hit his own face with the palm of his hand at his friend's stubbornness. With Inosuke hw was always like that, when was human he let his guard down even knowing that the other one could hit him. The fire slayer trusted him very blindly, and that sometimes made Zenitsu very uneasy, constantly trying to stay as far away from his violent comrade as possible.

"Sometimes you make me nervous."

"Sorry." He said it with a certain tone of doubt, scratching his cheek. He didn't know what to answer, so simply apologized.

"Doesn't matter..." He sat down on the floor. -Do you think he'll wake up again?

"I don't know. Hope so. I don't like to see him like this." the blonde heard sadness ring in all Tanjirou's presence. It spreaded off a little and he looked away.

"No ... it doesn't have to take long. If he's already woken up, it shouldn't cost him..." On the one hand, he wanted to see the redhead boy well, as he always was, and to recover his comrade, who as much as they were angry, appreciated him. And on the other, fear was afloat and cowardly poisoned his head.

"I hope so." Tanjirou kept his eyes on him. He could see that his pijama had holes in his knees and elbows for obvious reasons. But it didn't appear to have been broken by him, the way he was torn was more like someone else's having cut it, possibly with scissors. He couldn't resist to touch the horn of one knee. As he thought, it had the texture and hardness of a bone. "Nezuko lost part of his intelligence and consciousness when she converted. I don't want the same thing to happen to him." he heard his friend sigh.

"Me neither."

They had been in the dark room for another 40 minutes, talking about random stuff, and occasionally commenting of Inosuke. Zenitsu's guts made a guttural sound, asking to have breakfast at once. He hadn't eaten anything to go first with Tanjirou. That boy gave a slight laugh at the noise. He got up and offered his hand so that he could too.

"I'll go with you for breakfast."

"Cool! Being alone while I eat depresses me." The blonde accepted the help, opened the door and stretched out his arms as he left, followed by the redhead boy. Him was the one that closed again, but not before taking one last look inside and smiling sweetly.

They returned to the infirmary room, where trays with food were already in their respective beds. They left the huge door open for air to circulate there as well.

Both of them sitting in Tanjirou's bed, ate and kept talking.

"I'll never forget her beautiful face and those... those... breasts!" Zenitsu was gesturing with his hands as if he were squeezing something. Saliva fell from his mouth corner and he took away several grains of rice.

"Shut up!" he held back saying it was gross to see that. And it was even more so when he wiped off with his pijama sleeve and stained it. Tanjirou's repulsive face couldn't be hidden.

"Don't make that face, it reminds me of how you looked at me when I met you!" still had in his memory the expression that the redhead boy showed.

"You can't-

A thunderous thump echoed off the walls and floor. Followed by strong and quick steps. Both, for inertia, directed their views to the corridor that was in front of them. Tanjirou stood up, expectant.

"It seems that someone is in a hurry to go to the bathroom." Zenitsu played it down and put another ball of rice in his mouth, but still looking.

Like a gust of wind, Inosuke passed his eyes as he crossed in front of the door to the infirmary. The blonde screeched like never before.

"OH, GOD!" Tanjirou ran out with the intention of following him and stopping him in whatever wanted to do, feeling that his heart was going to go out of his throat.

"TANJIROUUU!" he yelled again and, forced by his sense of friendship, came after him.

The redhead boy saw the other young man a few meters ahead. He had taken off his pijama and was wearing his usual clothes. With the difference that under the fur skirt there was only the underwear fabric with his name written. And as always, he never forgot his boar head, which hid the aforementioned garments from behind. No matter what shape it was, he would never forget to put it on his head. He was without any shoes, but that wasn't a problem.

"INOSUKE!" tried to get his attention, and he succeeded. The young demon turned his head and squinted at his pursuer to continue past him. That didn't stop his run. -Did he just ignore me?!" thought that perhaps his demonic instinct was warning him to leave the place and be safe, since, based on nature, he was in enemy territory and very disadvantaged.

"Was supposed to be tired!" Zenitsu didn't understand how it was that he was running so much. It seemed that he hadn't paid much attention to Aoi's explanation, but rather to his appearance and bearing. It was really him who was on the verge of falling to the ground to rest. How the wretch ran! The water and flame swordsman didn't answer, speaking in the midst of a chase would make him burn out faster.

They followed him for a minute and a half, without managing to close the distance with him. The sliding door leading to the garden was closed. Light filtered through the Japanese paper. They walked a couple more corridors until they reached the last one. Tanjirou realized where he was going.

"INOSUKE, WAIT!" knew that even if he came out, would go back inside when feeling the sun. It was obvious, but he didn't want to hurt himself. Had to stop him. He accelerated his run thanks to the appearance of despair that gave him an adrenaline rush, beginning to approach little by little. "DON'T GO OUT UNDER THE SUN!"

"STOP HIM, IT'S GOING TO BECOME ASHES!" Zenitsu shouted from behind, unable to do anything but continue.

Closer, just a little closer.

The redhead boy's hand reached forward just as Inosuke was already perched on the door. It all happened in slow motion in front of his red eyes. He hooked the long fur of the boar head with his fingers... and Inosuke ran away, managing to pluck a few hairs from it. His heart stopped when saw that she couldn't catch him well. The emerald eyes looked at him askance before returning to the front. For Tanjirou, the slow motion effect stopped working when the other jumped through the door paper, going outside. The blonde stopped when he witnessed this, anguished, with his eyelids wide open and his eyes trembling.

As soon as he was exposed to the sun, began to have it's damaging effect. Inosuke skidded to the ground to change direction as his skin began to smoke. In a wild position, with his knees bent, crouched down and with one hand on the ground, he returned his attention to Tanjirou, who despite everything, didn't give up. He caught that green gaze. If he wasn't mistaken, in less than a second the boy would overwhelm him to re-enter. And he wouldn't mind being run over.

Far from his deduction, the demon resumed his task of leaving, putting on painful expressions and beginning to growl quite loudly. His body burned and began to suffer burns that would soon cover him whole and dissolve him in ash little by little if he didn't hide in some shadow.

"NO, RETURNS" would never leave until he was safe again.

Later, some Pillars spoke to Aoi to ask him for updates on the situation. They had to cut their meeting when they heard the scream. In the distance they noticed how the demon boy was heading towards them with an angry face. They were flabbergasted by the incomprehensible determination that he was under the sun, suffering, risking death, and only cared what it was he was trying to do. They never saw a demon face the sun for their wishes. Removing Nezuko, who did it at a very important moment and for his brother. Unlike her, Inosuke should have no reason to do such an outrage. It seemed that he had felt them arrive and had gone out to meet them, that was the most logical thing they could think of. Unsheathed their swords, preparing themselves. The chaotic scene caused Tanjirou more despair.

"NO, JUST STOP HIM!" He wished with all his might to be heard and to be helped to return him to the big house. Not to attack him.

The wild young man took pride in his nicknames and started running on all fours for some reason. He was fast approaching the group. The Pillars began to prepare their attacks, almost had the demon on them. Without any one having been able to deduce it, Inosuke propelled himself with all four limbs and jumped on them, avoiding and ignoring. He left more than one with his mouth open. However, his burns were on the rise and he released more and more smoke.

"Where are he going?! He's gonna to kill himself out here!" Aoi was that there was no room for his amazement and fear.

Tanjirou bumped into them while continuing to follow the other. He apologized, but didn't stop. Zenitsu was far behind, it wouldn't come even in dreams. Uzui decided to follow them to take care of the problem. He caught up with the redhead boy with a little effort.

"I don't know where he is going, but he is facing the fence." the adult explained his deductions. "He won't be able to jump it, it's made at that height so that nobody crosses it.

But Inosuke didn't plan to jump it. He accelerated the movement of his limbs and put his head forward like a bull about to lunge. He went through the sturdy fence, creating a huge hole in it and blowing multiple pieces into the air.

"Oh, my fuc-!" He refrained from following the sentence for not tarnishing Tanjirou's good manners. Didn't surprise him that he could break the fence, Inosuke always didn't usually have difficulties for those things.

"He'll be sore afterwards with everything, he cannot regenerate his wounds or burns if he has the sedative of Aoi in his body!"

"Are he sedated?!" the Pillar almost screamed when asked. He didn't understand how could be sedated and running like this at the same time. He would ask for explanations later.

They saw the demon go into the shadow of the forest. He was safe from the sun there, so a worry was lifted from them. They went through the hole and continued the chase, but they had lost sight of him.

"Damn it..." Tanjirou clenched his fists, looking in every direction.

"This just got really complicated, boy." Uzui put arms in his own waist.

The redhead boy closed his eyes and concentrated on the scent he unconsciously loved so much. He opened again, finding the way. He didn't have to say anything for the man to follow him. They were brisk, but trying to be quiet. They passed through various bushes and vegetation.

"Is near." he reported. In a quick movement of the pupils, was able to recognize the boar fur. He approached slowly and hid behind a tree with Uzui.

They had found him, and he was doing exactly the same as the two of them. Hidden behind a bush and in a stalking position, he fixed his attention on that rabbit he had felt from the house. It was surreal...

"All this for a stupid rabbit?" The Pillar gritted his teeth comically. However, the younger boy continued watch over his friend.

Uzui's slight annoyed tone reached the vermin's overdeveloped ears, causing him to flee. As was obviously to be expected, Inosuke followed after, a little pissed off.

"Again..." Tanjirou complained, and again, he had to be followed. Only now they had it more in sight when they were close.

Another half minute of running through branches and leaves paid off at the cost of bleeding cuts and scratches. They stopped in front of the demon, who on his knees, anxious and hungry, was digging unsuccessfully in a tiny burrow through which his hand couldn't fit. He punched the ground with his fists and raised his face to the sky with a short roar of rage. Until finally he decided to pay attention to the other two. Slowly, he acquired a position close to the ground, with his legs flexed and open, moving very slowly with the help of his hands to the side. He was looking at them with a frown, with mistrust. Tanjirou could see the bones in his back. And again they were fading in ice until they disappeared. It must have something to do with his mood or something, he thought.

"Inosuke, calm down. It's me, Tanjirou." The redhead boy raised his hands in a slight sign of peace. He heard his friend growl annoyed again.

The wild boy moved swiftly in any direction to flee, but the other young man noticed this earlier and stood in that direction with his arms outstretched and preventing him from passing. Their noses almost collided.

"Stay away, you're bleeding!" the wounds caused by the branches were still open and Uzui feared the worst. Human blood; the favorite food of the demons along with their meat.

The demon's shining eyes were riveted on the deepest cut of one arm of the other boy, which despite wearing clothes on, was bleeding enough. Tanjirou was late noticing the detail, but didn't give him time to react. Inosuke drew back, throwing himself to the ground with his back in front Tanjirou, his face facing down and a hand pressing on his mouth.

The younger swordsman lowered his arms, confused. As much as Uzui, who approached his side. The minor squatted on hearing a slight forced retching.

"Did he just... reject the blood?... Inosuke, are you okay?" He was going to put a hand on him shoulder. Before he could do it, the wild boy raised his head and turned to look at them. Kept hiding her mouth, with her tearful emeralds, a grimace, and a blush from eye irritation.

Uzui had had enough. He couldn't handle it. He already suffered a lot on that mission in the Red Light District seeing the tremendous perfect appearance of the boy in yukata and only with a soft reddish lipstick on. He wasn't going to go through another situation of shameful emotions because of the beautiful face of that person. But he couldn't leave the other alone. His solution was to no look at Inosuke's face. Instead, Tanjirou was the same or worse in blush, full of shame to the pores.

"C-come on... You can't be here." He offered his hand to help him. Act that the other did not take very well. He slapped him on the back of hand, scratching him in the process. "Ouch!" The redhead boy withdrew his hand and rubbed it. He received a wrinkled and annoyed look, typical of Inosuke. The thought that he hadn't changed that much made him smile.

They froze at the behavior of the demon, which was suddenly concentrating on a state almost removed from reality. The redhead boy thought a bit and realized that his teammate was sharpening his ability to feel any movement or vibration on his skin over a wide radius of distance. The demon managed to move to go after whatever he had detected, but a bigger hand gripped his wrist, preventing him from leaving.

"You aren't leaving here, kid." the Pillar warned, without loosening his grip.

Inosuke pulled with all available strength, complaining of low growls and roars. He didn't get anything, Uzui had him well hooked. It crossed his mind to bite the man's arm until he released him, but he was conscious enough to know that if he bit there would be human blood. And human blood was already seen to disgust him to the point of retching if he was exposed too closely to it. His instincts told him that vomiting wasn't a good thing.

Squirmed like an animal caught in a stocks, giving Tanjirou some emotional pain. He could see with sadness that, despite everything, his friend no longer had a normal awareness. Was guided by instincts and basic desires. And he hadn't said a word, either, his entire vocabulary was based on roars, grunts, moans and screams.

Inosuke started to tire much faster than normal thanks to the effect the sedative had when he used too much energy at one blow for a long time. Between the run, the stamina under the sun and his violent attempts to wriggle out of Uzui were quickly running out with every second. Until a moment came when his intentions to let go were loose, leaving a pause of rest between each one. And despite this, of not being able to do anything and of being awkward and extremely slow moving, he kept on trying to continue.

"Does this boy never exhaust his last reserves of energy or what?" He wasn't even straining to hold him anymore, had a normal grip on him.

Tanjirou looked at him with some pity. He had no chance of anything, and unlike any other demon or human, he didn't give up even having fallen into defeat a while ago.

"Inosuke, stop. Please." The feral boy didn't hear Tanjirou's voice laden with regret. He was absorbed in going for his lunch at the cost of anything.

The moment when his muscles strained came almost soon. He stopped moving and trying to do nothing, still sitting on the ground, panting and sweating from the effort. The arm he still held was a dead weight.

"Come on, kid. You did well holding on, but you have to stop playing." The Pillar was in charge of picking it up and did not receive any type of complaint or disagreement from the demon. It was more than clear that he couldn't take it anymore. He carried him easily in his sturdy arms and indicated the other boy that they were returning.

The way back was silent, which Inosuke took advantage of to fall asleep until he was released. Tanjirou kept his eyes on him. It didn't matter if he was a demon, his attractiveness had gone nowhere, and that essence that made Inosuke be himself hadn't been eliminated either. Was hoping that he could have a conversation with him again, even if it was a stupid topic and they would argue it out loud. He wanted to hear him vocalize words meaningfully, hear him laugh, joke, insult... Everything. But it was too soon, and he didn't even know if his wish could be fulfilled. Could only stay positive, leaving the decision to fate.

The definitely good thing about it was that he was very sure that the wild boy wouldn't attack anyone and that he wasn't a threat. At least, if they didn't provoke or anger him.

Before entering the Butterfly Estate through the hole that had been made previously, the redhead boy took off his black and green garment, and covered Inosuke with it, from head to toe. That way, the sun wouldn't hurt him. They continued until they arrived with the group. The Pillars, who were under the shade of the roof, sitting on the wood of the floor outside the house, watched them arrive, impatient and curious for explanations.

"Don't fuck me! He's dead?" Sanemi commented with a hint of disappointment and mockery to see how they brought him.

"It's for the sun." Aoi had perfectly understood the reasons without asking.

Once in the shade, Uzui removed Tanjirou's garment and returned it, revealing the boy who was comfortably dozing in his arms. It almost seemed like he had never broken anything.

As if he had sensed it, he slowly opened his eyes and gave a yawn that revealed those abnormal jaws so terrifying, so similar to those of the great carnivores of the animal world. More than one sweated the cold drop.

"Ugh... I'll avoid getting close while he's eating..." Genya whispered.

Uzui let Inosuke's bare feet touch the ground to release him. But as soon as did, he collapsed helplessly. He was awake, but very tired. His body had no more energy to move a finger. Falling face-down like this caused laughter in some, concern in others, and pride in Aoi.

"I told you, the sedative works perfect." She crossed her arms, very satisfied and arrogant for her good eye when choosing that medicine and not another.

Was heard growling under his breath, to which Tanjirou picked him up again to take him this time. The poor demon boy didn't have to be ashamed lying there. But before returning to the interior of the building, he would take the opportunity to tell what he had recently discovered in the forest and what little he saw, heard and understood in the fight against Douma. It wasn't going to be enough, so afterward, the Pillars would see Kanao and help her with her problem so that she would also discuss the matter. It was very important to have as much information as possible.

Zenitsu had sat on the wooden step of the entrance on the other side of the house, sighing. He saw him arrive on the same floor where his friend was carrying the demon, always under the shadow of the roof. His body tensed and she stood up.

"Why does he look so downcast?"

"Aoi's sedative took effect when he overcame physical exertion." Inosuke nailed his emeralds to the blond boy, causing in him increased tension and nervousness. He moved away a little, in case he still had some extra strength hidden and threw himself to devour him. Made the redhead kid laugh with his behavior. "Nothing happens, we have discovered that he hates blood and human flesh." the meat thing was an assumption, but it was so related to the other that it was illogical to think otherwise.

"Huh..." Zenitsu could breathe easy. If Tanjirou said so, it would be true.

"But we have to find him food that he can take. He's hungry, so he escaped. He went behind a rabbit." almost laughed out loud at the lightning swordsman. "Then he tried to run after another animal he detected."

"As long as it doesn't eat me, I don't care what goes into his mouth."

Without any of them expecting it, Inosuke gave a loud growl to Zenitsu, who immediately screeched a bit and put distance, entering the big house with tears in his eyes.

Tanjirou could see a slight smile on the young demon after witnessing the other's reaction. Did he just enjoy scaring Zenitsu?

That was another great step on that day.


	5. Worse than a child

The two young swordsmen drowned their vaguely roaring laughter in their throats and hid their mischievous smiles with their hands. They were red from the effort and with puffy cheeks. The situation was beyond their strength, it was too much for them. They avoided laughing out of control at the expense of poor Aoi, who was fighting in an evenly matched showdown of strength against Inosuke. She had had to handcuff him against the bed to have any chance against him, and even so, he was twisting himself like an energetic snake that made it impossible for the girl to touch him. She didn't dare bring the sharp metal file closer for fear of accidentally stick it in and causing more damage than it already possessed in his pale, scorched body. Since the sedative's effect wouldn't dissipate until the next day, he couldn't regenerate wounds on his own yet. The demon kicked and roared like a tantrum, more and more pissed off. The curtains had been closed for his protection in this room.

After a couple of minutes of hell for the young woman, Tanjirou took pity on her and decided to come and lend her a hand. Similarly, it was important that Aoi take samples of those icy-touch bones. The boy positioned himself on the other side of the bed receiving the wild young man who redirected his green eyes towards him, still stirring and with an expression of wanting to tear apart anyone who dared to get closer than necessary. The redhead boy leaned over and threw his torso over the other's hip, over the fur skirt and preventing him from continuing to squirm so freely. He felt how he was making force to make jump his body, but with him there, wasn't capable.

"That's enough, you're going to make the burns worse." he looked down at him with a hint of concern.

For a few seconds, Inosuke stood still. Aoi took the opportunity to bring the blade closer to the horn of his elbow and try to continue with his task. But immediately, some movements resumed. He lifted one of his damaged legs upward, bending it and kneeing Tanjirou in the back of the head. He was lucky that the angle of the leg didn't allow the pointy bone coming out of the knee to fit into his skull. Anyway, it hurt and his face was crushed against that fur skirt.

"Inosuke, stupid! Look what you have achieved!" the girl had heard the slight moan that had escaped from the demon in the middle of the strange attack. She had accidentally cut with the blade his arm when made the move so suddenly. "It's over! This can't go on like this!"

It took her two minutes to tie it in more areas with the help of the redhead boy. From the waist, from the hands, from the ankles... Zenitsu didn't dare to put a finger on him for fear that the other would raise anger again and receiving something similar to what Tanjirou received would happen to him. Aoi didn't want to resort to that solution, the ropes tightened and damaged the burns and his raw, but he had left her no choice.

"Now, if they sting you, you can deal with it!" She was as pissed off as the demon was. They both slaughtered each other with their eyes. Their green-to-blue eye link fired dangerous sparks that would electrocute anyone who stood between them. And the nearest slayer couldn't help but laugh nervously at the enormous amount of anger that breathed in the environment. It was very full with tension.

If you had stood still from the beginning you wouldn't longer be tied here." Tanjirou reached out to remove a few strands of his long bangs. He only managed to reach to touch one because the wild boy trying to bite a Tanjirou's finger. The redhead boy had enough time to remove it before was trapped off in one movement. It seemed that when Inosuke was overwhelmed by anger, his dislike for human blood ended up without giving it importance. Would have to see the reaction to the blood after he calmed down, which would probably end up affecting him like someone who saw something very gross. "Okay, okay..." He held up his hands in a sign of peace, nervous in his breathy laugh. "I promise not to touch you."

"A little more and you run out of finger." Zenitsu commented without stopping to look, amazed and in some pink clouds how the beautiful Aoi gently filed the bone that came out of the elbow. She had placed a small tray underneath to collect the dust that came off the bone tissue and analyze it later.

"This will be enough." He retired to a mobile table and changed instruments. He left cotton, antiseptic, tape and the roll of bandages on the bed.

So professional, Aoi-chan~" Zenitsu started flatting her around without much success. The girl was more focused on her work, without forgetting the fact that the blonde boy seemed very pest.

"Well, it's her job." Tanjirou answered for her. He knew she was very nervous and upset. It wasn't time for the other boy to make it worse with his excessive noisy admiration and dragged flattery.

The girl was holding dry cotton with tweezers. She observed that Inosuke didn't want to give in to staying calm. Despite being immobilized, he continued to force himself by all means causing bleeding in the wounds that were pressed against the rough ropes. She sighed loudly and anguished. Being awake was an impossible mission to begin to heal him. Needed to free him for it. But if she did, Inosuke would have a free hand to carry out any nonsense. He left the forceps on one of the sticking plaster.

"This way I won't be able to do anything. I'll be back in a moment, don't you set him free." she warned the flame-and-water swordsman, and left the room.

"It's okay." He scratched the head a little and saw that Zenitsu, at some point in the situation, had come much closer. Perhaps when the demon was fully tied up and he was able to ensure that it was no longer possible for him to do anything with his dangerous legs.

"I really feel a little sorry." He crossed his arms, his bushy eyebrows tightening back.

"No wonder, you would be a thousand times worse. I still remember when you were making a fuss every day just for having to drink a medicine." Tanjirou couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. When he lived it, it was to laugh or cry. But now he could remember and only detect humor.

"That thing wasn't medicine, it was poison! You don't know how horrible it tasted because you haven't drank it! They gave you a good one!" he screamed as whimpered in annoyance. He felt misunderstood most of the time. Had no idea why such things were happening to him.

"Sure it wasn't that bad."

"NOT?!" In a sudden change of mood, grabbed the neck of his nightgown and tugged a little. "You... you received a nice medicine and lots of love from the girls while I was dying of disgust and they get mad at me for no reason! By what right do you say it?! You aren't a friend, you are a traitor hoarding women! Always being the playboy of the group! What are you looking to do with them, pervert?! Aoi, Kanao, Miss Mitsuri, Nezuko...!

"Nezuko is my sister!" He was starting to lose his temper with such nonsense, but he was still able to control himself. "The others are good friends! And I never spoke to Miss Mitsuri! Zenitsu, not everything in life is getting a wife or chasing girls!

"Yeah, friends..." mocked him when he pronounced the last word and released him from his nightgown.

The veins on Tanjirou's face and neck seemed about to burst. His skin had risen in temperature and was like a pressure cooker, keeping a static smile and a tic at one of his corners. He took a deep breath through his nose and pinched the bridge of it with his fingers.

"Let's see... If you think I'm such a womanizer, then why haven't I taken advantage of anything at this point?"

"Because you are a Machiavequilo and you like everyone to listen to you!"

The redhead boy averted the eyes so he didn't have to look at him. If did, he could have sworn that he would end up beating his life right there. He seldom lost control, and Zenitsu had an impressive ability to do so. It wasn't common, but on these occasions he ended up understanding why Inosuke was so irritated with Zenitsu, and why he kept screaming and hitting him with the first thing he caught. His gaze went unconsciously to the demon who watched the scene in silence, still, and with a grimace of revulsion and confusion. Without a doubt, an expression worthy of framing in some comedy club.

"Zenitsu, you're great!" Tanjirou shook his friend by the shoulders, suddenly changing his temper. "Your behavior has made Inosuke stay still at last!"

"Seriously?" Aoi's voice echoed again, entering. But as soon as the wild boy heard her... he left the redhead kid a liar.

"I spoke too soon..." The tears of defeat cascaded down her cheeks.

"I figured." The girl let out a weary laugh and approached her patient with a needle full with a few milliliters of something.

"Is it the sedative?" asked the swordsman with the scar on his forehear.

"No. The sedative doesn't guarantee anything in this situation. This is anesthesia. I avoid using it because the herbs to prepare it are difficult to find..." She hit the hollow part of the syringe with his fingernail to remove the excess air. "And because it's potent."

"How potent? What that makes?" he didn't even know exactly what anesthesia was. They were such advanced things compared to what was in his village...

"Sleep immediately whoever injecte it on. I have taken just the right amount to last a few minutes. I didn't want to risk more."

"But more quantity, more time you have to cure it." That was logical to him, and he wasn't wrong. Saw with impressions how the girl cleaned and pressed very hard with the thumb the area where the arm used to bend. The demon's complaints were useless. He injected the needle in and began to introduce the liquid.

"That's true, but when used there is always a chance that the person won't wake up." enough words to distress Tanjirou and the blond boy to the core. And there was nothing they could do to prevent it, the anesthetic was already inside. She shifted his feminine blue eyes to them and chuckled. "Calm down, nothing happens. They are very low odds. And more when the dose is small. He'll wake up in a few minutes."

Even despite the explanation, Tanjirou was still distressed. He looked at Inosuke who wasn't stopping for anything in the world. It was a second passed and he began to stop moving gradually against his will, but at a fast pace. Until he stood still with his half-closed emeralds nailed to the ceiling, dizzy, unaware of absolutely nothing. Neither his surroundings or the pain... This greatly distressed the scarred swordsman. He approached and smiled at him with a sweetness that was capable of gladdening the soul. A smile that Inosuke could get to notice before falling asleep completely.

"Well, we can proceed."

The ropes were removed and Aoi began disinfecting and bandaging his arms, torso, and legs. On one of his battered cheeks she stuck a sticking plaster.

About 5 minutes elapsed. There was still time before the wild boy woke up.

"This time you don't need to let me know if you wake up. When he do, he just have to stretch." He collected all his instruments and left so as not to return for long hours.

And finally, a rest time for tired slayers. The day was exhausting in every way, both physically and mentally. Tanjirou and Zenitsu sighed in relief at almost the same time. The first sat on the edge of the demon's bed, and the blonde kid on the other next edge.

"This is worse than when he was human. At least before pretended to be strong and sometimes thought instead of trying to hit us insane. the yellow-headed one commented.

"I know..." He sighed. "I'm going away for a minute, here it smells a lot of medicine and it makes me dizzy."

"What?! Are you going to leave me alone with him?! What if he wakes up!"

"If he wakes up, don't do anything, he won't come for you that free." He smiled and walked out the door.

Walked down a few corridors until he reached the garden. Closed his eyes and breathed the fresh air with pleasure, also listening to the music that nature had to offer. Absorbing the soft aroma of the grass and the forest that opened behind the fences of the Butterfly Estate. The warmth of the sun bathed his being and eliminated any evil. He heard voices coming from behind the corner of the house. Guided by curiosity, he stepped closer to listen. Although he knew it was wrong to spy, the desire to know was beyond his strength.

"And what are we going to do?" That was Muichiro's voice, which seemed to have come out for a while, or decided it was enough recovery for him.

"Continue the dose one more week." And that was Uzui.

"Weren't you the first to say that the fact that he didn't attack anyone was confirmed?" Genya protested.

"Yes, but after what Aoi has just told us, first we have to let him get used to some and learn to control his impulses a little, as before."

"In summary. It isn't a threat as long as he don't get mad. And he's Inosuke, so is very easy to bother him... I understand your point." Muichiro whispered. "Nothing happened if he got pissed off before, he decided to unburden himself many times screaming or giving harmless, but painful blows. But the violent instinct of demons has made me forget that there is such an option and any blow could be deadly to us..."

"I see you have understood." Uzui seemed proud at first. After a brief silence, not so much anymore. "Poor boy... Not only has he lost the ability to speak. He has also lost almost all of his consciousness and basic human intelligence, and it is quite possible that his feelings for people too.

"Yes, the truth is that it's a pity..."

And there the conversation ended. Not because they were finished, but because Tanjirou didn't want to hear anything else. He had drifted away to his starting point in the garden, shuffling. He regretted getting closer. The heart ached with horrors, it weighed so heavily... His windpipe pressed against itself because of the anguish and sadness of thinking that all this was true. He couldn't refute it, Uzui was right. Felt his chest crack very slowly every time he heard or saw something like that. Decided to return, the coolness of the breeze was no longer able to lighten his sorrows. He walked back into the hall, head down, eyes glittering at the floor, threatening to generate more moisture than they should. Until...

"Ghahg!" He gasped as he felt overwhelmed by something. Or someone. It was luck that decided not to send him to the ground. It was Zenitsu, who was crying loudly. Knowing the blonde boy, he didn't know what to expect now. "What happened?" grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Sorry, Sorry! I couldn't be alone with him any longer! I'm scared, very scared!" blew his nose on his own sleeve.

Repulsive... It was what the redhead boy thought.

"But you want to tell me what happened? Come on." started to push him back into the room. A reddish lock of hair was beginning to bother his face. Very long. He and his friend went off for a moment for scissors.

"He woke up and started looking at me weird! At first I didn't mind, but he kept doing it like a statue! He didn't even blink, just looked at me with a very scary face! You say he isn't going to eat anyone, but I think he's waiting for the perfect opportunity to devour me!" he approached and knelt in front of him. "No, seems not."

"Has removed his hideous face when you came! It isn't fair, show him how you looked at me, you stupid boar! -He was beginning to lose hair from stress. As if wanting to give him what he was asking, Inosuke ignore from Tanjirou and darkened his countenance towards the blonde boy with a threatening intensity in his eyes. He didn't do it because he understood the request, he did it because his irritable voice bothered him and he was warning of his hostility. "You see?! YOU SEE?!" The accusing finger pointed at him.

"If you bother him like that it's normal... Keep in mind that he has lost his reasoning and can't think of other ways to unburden." Without meaning to, he imitated the Pillars' words in his own way.

Zenitsu seemed to calm down, folding his arms and feeling somewhat guilty.

"Maybe... I bothered him a little while he was half asleep..." He shrugged a little, embarrassed. He had at his mercy the person who beat and mocked him every day, his desire to return him with the same coin was superior to him, without understanding that this was his way of showing him in particular that he trusted.

"It doesn't matter, everything is fine now. He isn't gonna to eat you and you aren't annoy him again, okay?" he always had to mediate between those two, it didn't matter if one was a demon or not. The situation was practically the same.

"Okay..." he reluctantly agreed.

"What do you think if we are going to exercise a little to get in shape? Thus, when we are recovered it won't cost us as much to resume routines."

"Seem right." He waited a few seconds for Tanjirou to carefully cut his stubborn lock of hair. The emerald eyes watched the act with intense attention.

The scissors lay on one of the beds and the redhead boy gestured to the wild young man.

"Do you want to come? You can look from inside os house." All the smiles he gave him were so genuine and warm.

Inosuke looked at him blankly, so the redhead kid further exaggerated of **come with me** gesture. And nothing, he didn't move from its place. That slightly depressed him.

"Leave it, if he want it will come."

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe he still feel tired from everything today."

The afternoon passed quickly for everyone. Tanjirou and Zenitsu had exercised just enough, it was not good about trying hard in their situation. They were both sweating and panting, satisfied.

"How hungry..." the blonde boy complained.

-Yeah?" The other couldn't help but laugh. A faint but real laugh that was cut off by hearing a powerful feminine scream from within.

Both boys froze at the sound of it, soaked in the sense of danger. Zenitsu feared the worst, relating **dinner time** and **demon**. While Tanjirou couldn't think of something concrete. They ran at the maximum speed their limbs allowed, searching for the source of the screech.

"The nursing room, came from the nursing room!" Zenitsu reported.

They stopped abruptly in front of the door and entered quickly. Aoi was kneeling on the ground, in front of Inosuke. From the boys' angle, the girl acted as a visual obstacle over the wild kid. They didn't know anything until they got closer.

There were several long strands of black and blue hair lying on the floor and a pale hand holding scissors.

"How did you do this disaster?! Oh my god!" the girl was hysterical. "You're supposed to be a demon, not a 3 year old child! Next to you, Nezuko is a thousand times more adult than you!" she tried to pick up the hairs while Inosuke opened and closed the tool, expectant. Aoi snatched the scissors away. "Give me that!"

They finished leaning out and saw the whole scene.

The number of locks of hair there were was greater than what they witnessed upon entering. Zenitsu avoided laughing, holding the air on her puffy, red cheeks. Tanjirou just narrowed his eyes and formed a gentle expression.

The two dark strands that always fell in front of his ears were much shorter, reaching between the shoulders and the pecs. And a piece of his bangs was also cut. He hadn't cut too much, but what little did cut left him a mess. Could tell had used the scissors without any control. The tips were disheveled and each at a different height. They were so bad that they had been charged with static electricity and they were all pointing in different directions.

"You're supposed to be watching him!" she lashed out at the other boys, whom he pulled from their worlds with the intimidating tone of his voice. The girl had a very short temper.

"I'm so sorry, Aoi. I left the scissors within his reach. I didn't realize." Tanjirou apologized, putting all his sincerity and responsibility. It in't his fault, he saw me cut a strand of hair that bothered me. He must have tried to imitate me. I'm really sorry." That reminded him that everything he did, Inosuke repeated with the excuse that he could do better. Could it be the recurring case of pleasant rivalry and admiration?... Whether it was or not, the hair he removed was no longer coming back. The redhead boy decided to take over. Seeing that the girl had finished sweeping the hair, he spoke. "You can go easy, I'm going to solve my mistake. Leave me the broom here."

She sighed for the hundredth time.

"Just don't make it worse or I'll be forced to intervene in your disaster." she left grumbling under his breath about** childish** and **unconscious**.

"I have to see this." Zenitsu had no hope that the redhead boy's solution was truly a solution.

Tanjirou sat across from the demon and took the scissors.

"Why did you decide to do this?" was a question to the air. He was aware that the other wasn't going to respond. He picked up the lock of hair on the left side of his face and began to cut carefully. The boy with the long dark hair closed the eye closest to the tool. "You could have looked for me after seeing me do it."

The blonde kid was disappointed to see that he was doing well. It was kind of weird.

"Where did you learn?"

"When I was at home I always took care of many things. One was to cut my brothers' and sisters' hair when they were very long and out of control." The memories filled him with a considerable amount of melancholy. While cutting Inosuke's hair, he related it to some frame from the past. The longing and quiet past... Shook his head a little. Couldn't get carried away now that he had cutting scissors in his hand.

"Oh..." was the only thing that answered. He didn't know how to continue. He felt he had screwed up.

"Nothing happens. I wasn't alone..." thinking of his sister gave him all the happiness he needed. "This one is already. "He fingered the groomed lock of hair, enjoying the softness on a whim, and started to cut the rest. "It's relaxing, you should try it someday. Isn't difficult.

"You kidding? Why would I want to fill myself with someone else's hair by cutting them?" Zenitsu didn't like the idea very much. "Later, the body itches."

"Well, I guess not everyone likes it." a couple more cuts and it was over. "Finished." He hadn't realized while doing it, but now he saw that he had left the bangs and the strands of hair exactly the same as when he was human, before the transformation made it extend so much... Before he was a demon... Maybe because he already had the the shape of her usual hairstyle was etched on his head and was represented in that parts by inertia.

And another detail he was picking up on now was that Inosuke had his eyes closed and a relaxed, neat expression. He had fall asleep while the slayer cutting it. Tanjirou's chest quickened at an alarming and musical rate. The blonde boy could hear that, but said nothing.

Wasn't planning to leave him there, so he delicately pick up him and carefully placed it on the bed that he had previously used. The demon settled on side and breathed more intensely than the others as a pleasant sign. He was patted on the head by the redhead kid, who wanted to delight a few more seconds of the relaxing touch of his hair. Later, he set out to sweep what he had cut. It took approximately thirty seconds. After completing the task, he looked at Zenitsu.

"Shall we see if the girls are with dinner?"

"Finally!" The loud boy almost jumped with excitement.

They both came out laughing, leaving the wild young man alone, but calm with it because he was sleeping.

When their voices stopped being heard, Inosuke's green eyes snapped open with a powerful and intimidating light intensity in the middle of the dark room. His pupils contracted even further until they were just two fine lines that held steady in a specific direction. Without blinking, without moving. Only those demonic orbs, brimming with a hypothetical cruelty and pure evil that at that moment would make the Lord of Evil himself shrink in panic.


	6. Demon slayer

The days passed in calm, or at least as little as they could get. Fully recovered from their injuries, the three young men no longer needed to stay at the Butterfly Estate. But they also had no place to go for any task, so each received a solo room. The nursing room had to be kept clear for any emergency, and they weren't the priority after obtaining their usual good health. Tanjirou and Zenitsu used the time to train, both alone and accompanied by a Pillar who instructed them. Its resistance and strength increased with the passing of the moons. The rest of the day was used to rest or help the first one who needed a little support. Not forgetting to keep Inosuke company, who lately had been declining in energy and couldn't participate in anything. A side effect of the sedative, they came to think, since it had been removed the day before, it may take a few hours for it to be removed from his body.

That cold night, illuminated by the whitish moonlight and the clinking of stars, the redhead boy decided it would be very pleasant for everyone to stay in the garden. And he didn't allow any to refuse. He felt that having a relaxing experience outdoors could do the demon good. Had brought with him the wooden box that he almost always carried on his back. The three of them sat on that wooden step, facing the beautiful grass and flowers, a comfortable silence settled. A comfort that didn't intoxicate as it should the wild kid. He was slightly uneasy for some reason. He wasn't able to be in the same position for many minutes. The cotton yukata they had put on him was beginning to show permanent wrinkles. They had allowed him to wear it open at the chest. Tanjirou was the one who perfectly remembered that the fabrics on the pale skin of his torso bothered and irritated him. They had to find a larger size to avoid breaking the sleeves and shoulder pads of the garment with their sharp bones. Zenitsu approached the flowerpots, wanting to see where was that cricket that didn't shut up and that was squeaking in his ears. The boy with the scar followed him, taking the demon with him so as not to leave him alone. Could easily tell that he wasn't interested in the singing bug. But he searched in the same way after realizing that the redhead boy was also doing it. It was nothing more than fun.

A pounding was heard coming from the box. Attention shifted to the hollow object. Zenitsu showed sudden interest and trotted over like a baby goat.

"Nezukoooo~"

He brought a light velvety laugh to the redhead kid, who followed after. Inosuke instead stayed where he was, strangely observing the scene before his emerald orbs.

The box door opened and cute little pink eyes peeked out curiously to finally expose the little woman. She grew herself a few more inches.

"Good evening, Nezuko. Did you sleep well?" Her brother stroked her head, and she answered with an energetic sound. It melted the blond boy. "I'm glad." He thought that the older demon would be at his side, but it wasn't. Feeling his emptiness, looked for him, finding him immediately where the crickets sang. "What's happen, Inosuke?" The wild man had acquired a static and expectant attitude. It was not possible to confirm clearly what expression his fine and effeminate features showed. The redhead boy realized he had his pupils nailed to his sister. "Oh, I understand..." took the girl by the shoulders and put her in front of himself. "Do you remember Nezuko?"

She observed Tanjirou, and later the other. There wasn't evil in his gaze, just curious about the new look the redhead kid's friend had. He wanted to approach and touch that long blue-black mane, but an instinct inside warned her not to.

With the passage of seconds, the tension of the environment turned into a fine silk thread capable of breaking with the slightest tremor. The red swordsman wasn't longer so confident with the situation. His nose caught an unknown mix of emotions. And neither was positive.

Little by little, the air subtly cooled as the seconds ticked by. Until they could feel the drop in temperature on their skins, and then see with their own eyes the frozen mist that was rising around all of them. Only in that area of the garden. Zenitsu had busied himself with shivering from the cold, while the redhead boy slowly positioned his sister behind him, hiding a bit from his other friend. It didn't look good at all. The demonic eyes had begun to look threatening, painted a green so powerful that it would cause dread in anyone. And his pupils, so thin... A black line was in the middle of his irises. Contracted to the maximum.

"Zenitsu..." the bamboo girl's older brother whispered. "Take Nezuko..." Despite the low voice, the blonde kid could hear him perfectly. He didn't want to cause him concerns, but he had no choice but to ask.

Zenitsu was aware of the danger of the situation, even without anyone knowing exactly what was happening, and why. As soon as he grabbed the girl by the shoulders, Inosuke started walking towards them, head-on, with a desperate slowness. Their hearts stopped instantly from having him almost on top. The redhead man was prepared in case he needed to hit him with the head and knock him out.

Nothing happened. The demon passed through them and entered the house of the estate, walking away along the corridor at the same time. Tanjirou and the blonde kid were stunned by that new behavior so... unexpected. They watched him walk until got lost around a corner. Immediately, the mist cleared and the temperature rose to its proper degrees.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, Zenitsu..." Despite not being there, neither of them stopped to watch the end of that empty corridor.

The next day, Tanjirou went to visit the demon as daily in his room. This time, Zenitsu had been playing with Nezuko, so he was alone. Still had the mishap from the night before in his head. Was spinning in his mind, looking for clues that might better understand the situation. Once in front of the door, he knocked.

"Inosuke. I'm Tanjirou, I'm going to enter, okay?" He slid the thick sliding door open and entered the room, closing behind him.

The young man was still tucked under the covers. He couldn't help but draw a tender smile. Sat down on the mattress and took a closer look. He was slightly cowering. The same thing happened the previous afternoon. He was shaking. The redhead boy got up, having an idea in his mind that might work, and started to pull out a pair of clean yukatas and two towels. He threw it all over his own shoulder and approached again.

"A warm bath will do you good." He unwound Inosuke and took him in his arms. He received no complaint from him. Neither attempts to refuse. Took him to the large, roofed baths on the Estate, filled with tubs of hot water that gave off steam. He was careful not to slip on the wood and sat the wild demon on it. Could see in his green eyes he was dizzy. Instinctively touched his forehead, though he felt nothing out of the ordinary. The first thing he did was take out a pastel pink Nezuko bow that he had saved and began to gather the long mane until it was tied in a disheveled but attractive bun. Looked at the pair of strands of hair that fell on either side of his pale face and inspected them with sight and touch.

"They grew back quite fast. I'll cut them off later." wasn't going to allow Inosuke to repeat the same disaster.

Without further pauses, he began to untie the tie that held the yukata closed at his waist. Took the edges of it and prepared to open it fully. In the middle of the task, received a kick to the mouth with the demon's heel that made him fall backwards.

"Inosuke!" sat up in pain, rubbing and pressing his chin. "What's that for?" he complained. Actually, the demon didn't know. It was a reflex act of his subconscious. "I'm just going to take this, you don't need to hit me." He resumed his task under the attentive emerald gaze of the other. Tanjirou could smell that the boy was nervous for some reason, but he didn't show it. Or rather, he didn't know how to show it. He had forgotten so many basic things about human life and its wide spectrum of emotions...

He managed to undress him without a second setback. The tomach twisted, restless, and he tried to avoid with excessive momentum looking where he shouldn't. He took a deep breath before picking him up again and setting it gently in the full tub. Later, he imitated the steps with himself and also entered. Closed his reddish eyes and raised his chin in a slight gesture of pleasure, accompanied by a smiling sigh.

"Doesn't it feel good?" The fumes hit their faces and painted a soft crimson hue on their cheeks and nose.

Tanjirou opened the eyelids and looked at his comrade, who had lost his narrow, luminous gaze in a spiral of rejoicing. The redhead boy was satisfied, Inosuke was loving the bath! For the first time in a good many days, he thought he had taken several steps. He watched intently those side locks of hair shine, some of their strands beginning to stick to the pale, reddened skin. The bow he had combed him, so wild and subtle at the same time, gave his a beautiful appearance that had never been discovered before. Hairstyles should be done more often. Got down from looking at his head to his neck. That white neck he vowed to protect to keep him in place, even if he had to fight half the world to protect him from unwanted swords. Wasn't at all like Nezuko, she was so sweet, so trustworthy, so kind that no one ever crossed her mind to hurt or exterminate her. But this boy was another case... A very complicated one.

Inadvertently, he wasted two minutes nailing his reddish orbs to those lips that the steam had just hydrated and colored. The hair on his body stood on end as the opposing head fell gently onto his shoulder. Had he fallen asleep? The emeralds were hidden behind her bushy lashes. It seemed so. Tanjirou felt that his heart would jump out at any moment, that he would break his ribs and jump like crazy everywhere. Needed some more air, so he just took a slow breath. It seemed as if the brain hadn't been oxygenated enough.

Slightly beside himself, with his forefinger and thumb, he gently grasped the opposite chin and turned in the direction to his face. Inosuke was in a little more into account in that warm sensation that the water gave him, so he didn't pay much attention, didn't he bother to open his eyes. The redhead boy ended up crossing the neurons entirely, tangled like threads inside his head. Without thinking, allowing only emotions to proceed, he slowly inclined his neck, closing the distance between them with an anxious slowness. The lips were about to brush. Could breathe his bittersweet breath that mixed with the heats of the baths. Closer, just a little closer...

Let's clean the bathrooms, if anyone has to be out, do it in five minutes!" A very young voice gave the warning, accompanied by two other similar ones.

It was enough for the swordsman to go back to his senses and realize what he had been about to do. He released the opposite chin and returned to his starting position in less than a thousandth of a second, splashing the water from his sudden movement. That made the demon come out of his trance of pleasure and half-open his eyes.

"Well! It's time to go out! We don't want to become raisins!" He got up very nervous, suddenly, with a smile that matched his current anxiety. Was aware that the pair of green jewels were scrutinizing him in depth, and that wasn't exactly something that could allow him to calm down as he was naked. It wasn't a problem with other men, but with the wild boy it was different, embarrassing.

It had been a good experience, actually. But it didn't work as he thought it would. Inosuke had not recovered a bit of his strength. It was such that he even thought it had gotten worse. The night began to loom, and they remained unanswered. Zenitsu had proposed searching for Aoi. He killed two birds with one stone; Inspect the demon and fulfill his constant desire to be in female presences.

"How is he going?" Tanjirou was interested in the answer when the young woman finished doing an unexpectedly calm check-up, without opposition, without messing around, without kicking.

"When was the last time he ate?" The girl crossed her arms, waiting for the answer.

"He hasn't since he converted..." he replied.

"Then that happens..." He scratched his cheek. "We know that demons gain strength and power by eating humans. And Nezuko, instead of eating, sleeps. It isn't different in him, but he doesn't feed on human flesh, doesn't does it use sleep... In this case, we have to find some way that he can renew energy."

What if he doesn't~? the seriousness of the question, executed with that dreamy tone of Zenitsu that was born from the happiness of seeing Aoi did not interpenetrate at all.

"I don't know anything else. Until now, I've never heard of a demon holding himself back in search of food so much that he got so weak."

At that moment, the redhead boy remembered something important. That day when Inosuke went out in the sun and escaped to the forest to go after a rabbit. It didn't devour humans, but what if...

"Aoi, can you give us permission to go out to the forest for a couple of hours? I think I have found the solution."

The girl placed her arms on her hips, not quite convinced. Pursed her thin lips and thought about the answer for a couple of seconds.

"It's okay. But for nothing in the world dare you take your eyes off him. And come back just two hours or earlier. You understood?"

Yes, Aoi-chan~ the blond boy's dances seemed to have no end.

They didn't stray far. Enough to reach a layer of forest that holds a decent amount of wildlife. Upon leaving, the demon seemed to have magically woken up. It was his most basic demonic instinct, to take advantage of the fewest energies to feed himself. His elongated pupils inspected everything like scanners. Wearing the long fur of the boar head would be much less visible among weeds. Without warning, something caught his attention. He bent down and ran towards a specific direction. Neither of the other two had noticed. Tanjirou couldn't hear him move and Zenitsu was so sleepy that it had completely ignored him.

"How much more is there to walk? I'm tired." the blond kid complained.

"Until we see something move."

"I still don't know what you plan, Tanjirou. I'm confused."

"We are looking for animals. I think Inosuke can feed on normal meat."

"You mean that we have come alone to hunt? Why not fish better, which is more relaxed?"

"I want to go the safest way, and remembering when he went after the rabbit a long time ago, it's the most optimal." They spoke in whispers so as not to scare away any animal. "How's Inosuke going?"

"He goes al-... right..." had just realized when he turned around that he wasn't there. "Uhh... Tanjirou..." his voice trembled.

"Humm?"

"Ahmm..." He put his hand on the other's shoulder, getting a little closer. "I think Inosuke has escaped..."

A second in which time stood still. One second for his brain to dismantle the meaning of the phrase. A second to turn around and not see the demon. And a second to lose him temper.

"WHAT?!" high enough to scare away the nearest animals. A flock of birds poured out of the treetops at breakneck speed. He grabbed Zenitsu by the clothes and shook him. "How did he escape?! You were supposed to control it with your sense of ear, I didn't even ask you to have to look at him to do it!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I was distracted!" the blonde boy whimpered, afraid that Tanjirou would give him some punch or headbutt.

The redhead kid puffed out his cheeks and held him tight, trying to hold back his desire. He released it in a loud sigh and let him free. Couldn't blame him so much, he wasn't too careful either.

"Let's look." In moments like this, his nose was perfect.

They retraced their steps until they found the point on the path where Inosuke strayed. They stopped after a few minutes and the water and flame swordsman inspected the trail area.

"Wait, I hear something." The blonde boy asked for silence. "It sounds far away, but it's like... humid. I could not explain it well at this distance."

"Let's go there then."

They continued the walk. The sound increased in volume with each meter that they advanced. Tanjirou began to smell. For the sake of his restless heart, hoped that what he was receiving in his nostrils didn't belong to the wild kid.

"It smells of blood. A lot of blood..." His broken voice echoed with concern.

"I don't like this..." The other boy was clutching his friend's shoulders, shivering with fear and looking everywhere.

A surprise attack caught them off guard. Inosuke leaped up the side and lunged at Zenitsu like a predator, slamming him to the ground and straddling him. He had a serrated stone knife in each hand, up high and in a position to be both used. That greenish glow that inspired so much terror was present in her deep irises and contrasted with her body bathed in blood of intense color. The pointy bones in his back were back there after a long time gone. And of course, the great cry of panic of the blonde boy was immediate. Before the redhead slayer could hook Inosuke, the demon recognized the red and crying face of the one that was about to be its next prey. The light in his eyes disappeared and down the small, but deadly, weapon, like the horns of his shoulder blades.

"INOSUKE!" Tanjirou grabbed him by the back, wrapping his arms around his entire belly. He hastily took him away from the other boy. "You almost killed us with fright!" He left him standing on the ground and separated a little, then turned around and faced him, with his hands on his bloody arms. He paid attention to the pair of primitive knives dripping the same scarlet substance. They seemed to have been made in a hurry and without any knowledge of blacksmithing, but they looked useful. "You seem much more active now, so you hunted something?" There was nothing more to see than one of the most stained areas was his face, specifically the mouth and surroundings. "And also..." the aroma was not deceiving. "You met with a demon, right?" It smelled too much of the creature's blood, so much so that it was unable to tell what animal he had been able to devour before.

Zenitsu got up, already tired of everything and about to explode.

"Enough, I'm leaving!" There were more tears and fear in him than anger. "I'm tired of all! This didn't happen when he was human!" Without meaning to, he indirectly blamed the air, damaging the still affected soul of the redhead boy, who didn't respond, and couldn't be bothered either.

The blonde kid was right in his desperate words, that wouldn't be happening if he hadn't been for his execution error in the battle against Douma. He pressed his lips together, putting up with the emotional pain he had carried ever since. Turned his gaze to the big green eyes that oozed innocence most of the time since the change occurred. He wished that, one day, Inosuke could forgive him.

"We'd better get back." they had already achieved their goal and it had worked, the demon was once again energetic. It was everything they needed.

Washed again, changed and saying goodbye to each go to their room. Although for Inosuke to move to his, he had to be guided. Not because he didn't know where he was, but because he stood still if Tanjirou left, as if at some point he was going to return and he adopted a puppy attitude waiting patiently for his owner.

The tranquility of the night after leaving to rest lasted an hour. The redhead boy heard intense hits from the hallways. But what alerted him most weren't the impacts, but the raging screams of his wild comrade. He got up in a hurry and ran away, running into Zenitsu.

"What the hell was that?!" the blonde kid screeched, striding behind his friend to where the roar came from.

"I don't know!" was going full speed.

It was in the hallway that led to the exit.

A violent confrontation seemed to be taking place. Judging by the intensity of the hits that rang against the floor and walls, it was very serious. Once they could see it, they were only able to be flooded with panic and increase the pace of the race. The wooden floor was dented and partially broken as if it had been directly stomped and punched, and the same with the walls. The air heard and smelled of a wrath pure of demon.

Tanjirou didn't wait to be noticed as he continued running towards the brutal fight.

"INOSUKE, ENOUGH!"

"NEZUKO-CHAN!"


	7. Inosuke vs Nezuko

Both demons faced each other in an arduous battle that seemed to have been provoked out of nowhere. It didn't take a lot of intelligence to realize that Inosuke disliked Nezuko for some incomprehensible reason. The short garden scene from the night before made that very clear. But this... This was impossible to allow.

"LISTEN TO ME!" Tanjirou screamed again, seeking the wild boy's attention.

He didn't hear. Or if he did, but ignored him. Having the girl cornered against the wall, he launched himself with his fist forward, ready to bury it in her pretty face and fit her head into the wall. The redhead kid intercepted that and threw himself on his sister, both falling aside and avoiding the fatal blow. The young man's knuckles stuck for a few seconds on the wall. Nezuko got up, and on the side, attacked. Act that left the boy with the scar scarred, surprised, disappointed, anguished. She didn't usually continue fighting when her brother showed up to stop her, unless he was the one in danger. And that wasn't this case. Something was out of place with both demons. The little girl jumped up and prepared a leg to kick him wherever she could. Inosuke broke free and ducked in time. The girl was only able to kick his long hair because of the lightness of it, which made it float in the air for a few microseconds when moving so fast. Tanjirou could see thanks to that that the wild kid had those bones on his back again. Zenitsu seemed to notice, too.

"Zenitsu, go get my sword!"

From below, Nezuko fell into the tripped trap by a movement with the leg that Inosuke had made at ground level.

"What?! Are you crazy?!" The blonde boy couldn't believe he had made that request.

After the little woman fell down, the redhead slayer stood in front of her and with an poke with the elbow to the stomach sent the demon back a few meters, but without throwing him to the ground.

"BRING THE DAMN SWORD!" didn't plan to mortally harm anyone, much less kill. But he had to put up with the situation somehow, and hand-to-hand against a violent demon and another that wouldn't stop attacking because she was attacked, it wasn't at all feasible. He was at a disadvantage.

The little girl couldm't stop. She bit into the bamboo in such a way that broke it and released his mouth. Dodged Tanjirou and screamed like a feminine monster, going head to head for the other.

"What's going on he-...?!" Aoi saw first hand and without expecting how Nezuko scratched the opposite face, and how Inosuke rammed the smaller body with his head. The young nurse screeched, panicking. She ran. Not to run away, but to evacuate anyone inside the big house through the front door and send an emergency message to the Pillars.

Zenitsu disappeared to search for the swordsman's weapon. He had to hurry before the confrontation worsened to catastrophic levels. Tanjirou hoped it wouldn't take too long, he didn't know how much time was left for either of them to really hurt themselves.

"I SAID ENOUGH!" launched himself at the older demon, catching his waist in a very tight hug and knocking him onto his back in the process. The bones of his shoulder blades dug into the wood of the floor and broke it even further. He hoped that if he was glued to the feral man, Nezuko wouldn't attack because she would hit him as well. It was a way he had come up with to keep them both in check.

Far from becoming his deduction, Inosuke placed his hands on the sides of his own head, on the floor, and propelled himself with his feet. He lifted his hip and did a back flip with his legs stretched out at all times, sending the redhead boy flying. He took advantage of the movement to finish with his soles of the feet on the ground thanks to his flexibility and agility. He defended himself against a series of swift intermittent attacks by Nezuko, who upon seeing the clear path soon resumed the battle. The last blow was so powerful that stopping it generated a blast wave of air that separated both of them, causing them to slip backwards.

The long-haired man pulled out the serrated dagger he had previously made. All the time he had it tied to one of his thighs thanks to the pink bow that Tanjirou gave her in the bathrooms. Slowly, he bent his knees and spread his legs wider, laying the fingertips of his free hand on the floor, brushing it gently and quietly. His pose wasted agility, but stood out for his wild and mountainous bearing. His elongated pupils followed every movement, and his sensitive touch perceived the slightest vibration in floor and air. The fact that the girl took her own position was a provocation for him. Enraged, he roared and reentered her personal space. He moved his arm from left to right with the serrated edge of the dagger. Nezuko made a small jump, dodging a possible long, deep cut. Immediately, Inosuke kicked the center of his chest with the sole of his foot. The girl spat out all the air and a little blood when she received it and rolled on the floor.

"TANJIROU!" At last Zenitsu appeared and quickly approached to help the redhead boy get up, sword in hand.

"I'm fine. Thank you." picked up his sword and drew it. From behind he looked at those bones that were hidden under the long black and blue hair. They were related to his power in some way. Every time Inosuke attacked, those things were in plain sight. Remembered when he tried to strangle him, they were there. A few hours ago, when he returned from feeding and killing a low demon, they were there. And now, furiously confronting her sister, they were there.

As soon as he saw that kick, he took advantage of the moment to go behind in a silent but fast way. The blade of his sword struck those horns almost from the root. It made a shrill sound that alerted the demon. He didn't cut them. Not even a miserable scratch. The wild kid imitated the first move Tanjirou used against him; a poke with the elbow. Much stronger and more damaging. The pointed bone of that joint was hammered into the side of Tanjirou's abdomen. When the redhead boy fell, blood began to gush from the hole.

Zenitsu screamed and grabbed his friend before he'll crash. It was going too far. Nezuko reacted to his wounded brother and released the contagious fury even further. With a punch in the stomach, he sent the other demon to the garden, going through the sliding door for the second time since his transformation. Once outside, his flight path devastated Uzui, making him an indirect victim of the little demon woman. He didn't nail him the bones of his back because they were positioned on the Pillar's shoulders instead of on his chest. The boy's hair was all over his face and prevented him from seeing. A couple of strands got into his mouth and he did his best to expel them without using his hands.

"UZUI!" Muichiro exclaimed his name at the tremendous thud.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Sanemi spoke in his angry and hostile tone.

As soon as she finished asking violently, the girl appeared over the two who were on the ground. Inosuke stepped aside so quickly that she couldn't stop her attack to follow him. She was going to take a huge bite out of the man, but he managed to grab the sheath of his sword and used it to block her mouth. However, that action made him a second rival. The smallest growled and pushed. It was very strong. Uzui was going to be defended by his comrades, but Inosuke stepped forward, ran over Nezuko back like a feral animal. He took her off the man without planning it, at no time did she think about the Pillar, only about facing the other one. The rest of swordmans had to avoid the trajectory of the thrust, each throwing himself to the dirt and grass floor so as not to suffer the same fate as his partner. The demon rammed the girl into the grass, and because of the recent speed, despite turning towards her, he continued in the same direction, skidding in an attempt to slow down. The thin, elongated leaves rose under his hands and feet.

Tanjirou and Zenitsu then went out. Everything that seemed to happen in a minute was accomplished in less than five seconds. The reaction capacity compared to that of those young specials was much lower.

"You better explain this to us or we cut their throats!" Sanemi threatened to exterminate both demons.

"I don't know what happened, they were already fighting when we showed up!" The redhead boy was scared, he couldn't give more information than that. Even he couldn't think of a hypothesis at the time.

The feral demon returned against his rival, but in the middle of the road he stopped abruptly with a slight choking hiccup. At the same time as he made the sound, he could hear from himself a thunderous heartbeat that matched the momentary appearance of the Upper Second Moon number in his eyes. But from such a distance, no one could notice it. With trembling and tense hands near his face, and with his eyelids wide open, he looked at nothing. His intense suffering screeched from within, it became obvious. Under static and fearful glances, he managed to cover his face. Abundant bloody tears began to flow from between his thin, pale fingers. With every beat of his heart, the number came and went.

But Nezuko couldn't take pity, was engulfed in anger. She didn't wait to be the one who closed the gap.

"Stop!" Tanjirou tried to stop her, but Sanemi stepped forward, taking the girl's forehead and head with his hand, pressing the temples and throwing her. That happened in slow motion until she was sent away from the other demon. The controversial Pillar could understand that they were not going to attack them, but that they were trying to exterminate each other. He knew that the best option was to separate them. "NEZUKO!" The redhead boy positioned himself to catch her in flight. Grunting with rage and pain, she hit the swordsman three times with her back pressed against him. On the chin, on the knee and on the abdomen. Enough to let go and make him shrink. It had been obvious for many centuries that demons had far superior physical strength.

The emerald eyes permanently took the number when they stopped bleeding. He slowly withdrew his hands, both eyelids closed. He felt the vibrations. As soon as he opened them, the icy haze rose to a brutally low temperature and too sudden. The girl's career slowed, giving him time to counterattack.

"Done, it's over!" Sanemi and the Pillars had been launching attacks and meddling at all times, but the level of those two was so high that they were invisibly ignored and dodged. The Pillar of the Wind reached his limit. With the two demons, one so close to the other, he brandished his long sword and aimed it at both necks with unimaginable speed. Two demons with one just slash.

-DON'T DO IT! Tanjirou wasn't the only one to scream as he tried to draw the strength he didn't have from the last blows and get up. Zenitsu and Mitsuri accompanied in unison. The blonde kid wanted to try to stop him, but it was too far. Running wasn't doing him any good. No one would do it.

Several Pillars went to stop the other, who was already brushing his demonic skins with the blade edge. And he would have if it hadn't been for Aoi getting ahead of them when he appeared. She had thrown darts with a homemade blowgun, one at the neck of each violent individual, also at Sanemi's neck. All three fell immediately unconscious and the mist disappeared, causing the temperature rise.

His body ached, but they were tricks of the trade. Being a demon slayer wasn't a quiet place where you could avoid getting hit. Unlike. There were fights everywhere. He used to the idea. Back in the infirmary room, the next day, Tanjirou was already resting with his wounds treated. With his torso, jaw and right knee bandaged. The last two had slightly loosened, nothing a little rest would not fix. But his wound in the abdomen was more serious than that. He wasn't going to die for it, but it would take time to heal and it hurt a lot. It was like getting that big prick over and over again every time he breathed. Being stabbed like this by an elbow had never entered his plans. Was aware that Nezuko would be without a scratch, and Inosuke as well. They both had that capacity for regeneration that was sometimes so enviable. He started thinking about them. Didn't know anything about the aforementioned once the Pillars took them to who knew where. Was concerned about any decision they made about it without talking to him first. He had priority, one was his own sister and the other was his... friend? Somehow, the feeling of having only a friendship with the wild boy was becoming confused with each passing day.

"What you think?" Zenitsu, who was by his side keeping him company, listened with his incredible ears to a tangle of jumbled and disordered sounds.

"Ah, it's nothing." The redhead kid detracted from his concerns. He was trying not to speak much through his jaw. The blonde boy did not want to insist. It was not a good time to touch on controversial or related topics.

The door opened, allowing Giyuu to see through it. He greeted with a slight shake of his head. Without any waiting for him, Nezuko entered after him, making tiny happy jogs. But happier became when she saw her dear brother. She ran like a child to his bed, climbed up and stroked his red hair.

"Nezuko-chan ~! How good that you are as pretty as ever!" Zenitsu began to undulate on the site, helpless before love.

The swordsman with the scar smiled with a closed mouth and returned the cuddly gesture to his little sister. She rejoiced in her satisfaction.

"I see you aren't that bad." The Pillar commented for the first time. He knew Tanjirou couldn't talk too much, and that created a crossroads for him, since he didn't either do. Although it was not the moment to generate useless silences. "I come to notify the Pillars' decision." Immediately all attention was redirected to him. "We don't know what pushed Nezuko and the boar boy to face off, but we were able to come up with a solution." He crossed his arms. "The problem isn't that they attack us, it's that they try to crush each other." They had already noticed, but it was worth emphasizing. "Your sister will enjoy 12 hours a day to move freely. She can do this after have achieved your immunity to the sun. At the same time, the other boy will have to be locked up." The idea seemed not to please Tanjirou, but it was the only one. "And conversely, when night falls, Inosuke will have another 12 hours to go out, and Nezuko will be the one locked in at that time."

"I see it useful" The blonde boy commented. "And so I can see my sweet Nezuko-chan during the day ~..." What an obsession.

"Well, there are no objections." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Recover." And without adding more, he left the room. It might seem like an order, but what tried to express was that he hoped he would heal soon.

"Well, it's a good idea, although I feel a little sorry about locking them up every 12 hours..." Zenitsu crossed her arms, not quite agreeing with that part either. The little girl approached him, thinking that she also needed a pat on the head. The act ended by melting him whole with tenderness and admiration.

He thought once more of those icy bones, trying to dig deeper into relating them to fighting. He was interrupted by Aoi. The young woman had come to monitor her condition with a blank report.

Hi, Tanjirou. Zenitsu… "The last man's name greeted him with some annoyance. "How do you feel?" The demon girl waved vigorously with her arms raised. "Hi to you too, Nezuko."

"I'm fine, thanks." Even wounded, his soft smile wouldn't fade. His eyes narrowed as the pen brushed the paper and left ink traces written. Her sister leaned out to watch the show on the page.

"I guess it hurts." But he couldn't fool him. I was too experienced on the subject. "If you see that it becomes unbearable, send someone to find me." He finished writing. The rest were just bruises that disappeared. "Next time, don't just deal two demons at once." It was an incomprehensible and risky act for her.

"Wait." Before she decided to leave, the bedridden boy spoke. "I found out... about his bones..." It cost his jaw. "The ones on his back." caught Aoi's attention, who invited him to continue. "I think they come out... when he fights."

"Are you sure?" No, she knew it wasn't. His thoughtful countenance remained etched on his features for a moment. "Let's see... He had them when he strangle you...

"And when we were in the woods, he faced a low demon apart from hunting." Added the blond kid.

"And now, in last night's mishap…" Tanjirou finished.

"But..." That odious word was never missing, damn Aoi's mouth. "He also fought with me because he didn't want to treat his wounds, and they weren't there at the time. There must be something that escapes...

"He didn't try to..." He fell silent as his reddish eyes widened as he finished understanding. "He didn't trying to kill you...

"That's! It are born when he intend to kill!" slapped the side of his small fist into the palm of his other hand, singing victory. "Do you know what that means? Now we can anticipate it before he try. I will report this. Good job!" The young woman rushed out, leaving Tanjirou with a satisfied smile and Zenitsu with a more relaxed one.

"At least things are starting to get easier." The latter boy commented.

Night had begun to fall and Giyuu took Nezuko. The whitish light of the moon filtered through the window of the infirmary where the redhead kid rested, already plunged into a peaceful sleep. A shadow appeared from the door and she walked slowly towards him. Once at the bedside, the moonlight glints revealed the pale face adorned with markings and his luminous emerald eyes. He stared for a few seconds at the body lying relaxed. Slowly, he knelt on the floor and rested his arms on the sheets, dropping his chin on them. There was a slight trace of sadness and guilt on his face. Despite being a demon, he hadn't zero consciousness. Knew that he had caused damage to Tanjirou's body. Precisely, he received the worst from him. His pupils, again in their normal and elongated state, scrutinized that face closely. Out of instinct, reached out and brushed the tip of her long maroon nails across his cheek. Without wishing it, he made Tanjirou slowly open his eyelids. Turned his red head towards the direction from which he felt those faint caresses.

"Inosuke." That beautiful sweet smile under the moonlight was captured by the demon who, for some unknown reason, imitated the gesture. That stunned the redhead boy, the expression was so beautiful in him, so angelic and with so much tenderness overflowing from each of his pores. He brought his hand up to the wild kid and delicately tangled the fingers with hims until he had a soft grip. "I'm glad you're fine." Tanjirou received a tiny squeeze of him in the interlaced hand and watched how Inosuke's other had free landed on his damaged abdomen, just in that wound that had caused. A touch so gentle and careful that it seemed not to have been done by him, with the difficulty of taking precautions or performing light and soft actions. But he really was capable of it, he was the great king of the mountain, after all. There was nothing he couldn't do. "It wasn't your fault, you were out of yourself. Nothing happens." he felt both beats melt into one through the fingers that stroked each other. Didn't know how had been brought to such an extent with him. Felt so similar to what he felt when first saw his face on the outskirts of that abandoned an demonic house; inundated by its beauty, dizzy by its presence. Inosuke was making him sick in such a glorious way. He let the demon bring his fused hands to his own pale cheek and brush against the back of Tanjirou's hand. The redhead boy noted her velvety, heady skin. There was no need for words in the atmosphere.

It was a bit sudden to see that subtle glow descend from the demon's closed eyelids. Thin drops that fell and died on the white sheets caused a feeling of uneasiness in the swordsman. He didn't know what was happening to him, what was going through his bluish head, what made him cry with that expression so devastating and wonderful at the same time. Were he sorry for the fight? It could be an option. Inosuke had never laid a hand on Nezuko before. He even appreciated her. Perhaps being late aware of his actions was a hard weight to bear. Tanjirou released his hand and used it to clean the salty drops and their traces with his thumb.

"Everything is well now. Don't cry." His whispering, gentle tone massaged the demon's sensitive emotions. Little by little, he was beginning to show and express them in the presence of the redhead boy and no one else. That nameless bond only allowed his to break free with him.

The burden on his shoulders was too high to carry alone, lost in his new identity, with no path to follow. Lonely, in the middle of the dark. Tanjirou was his beam of light, the one that showed her direction, the one that calmed her frightened heart. Fearful of completely turning into a merciless monster. His subconscious was all that. The boar boy was trapped in there, cold, anguished when the redhead kid wasn't with him. Being scratched by its own shadows. Losing over and over again, the depression took it's toll and he gave up until his beloved friend returned to warm him up. When he opened her eyes and saw him lying there, withdrawing his tears with that addictive smile, felt strange desires that he didn't know how to interpret or execute. But his wet and shiny gaze expressed everything for him. The boy with the scar sat up a little, without removing his touch. He leaned, giving the demon more support with his closeness. Gently collided his opposite forehead with hims and stood there for a few seconds. He broke the gesture and with a embarrased slowness approached his lips to the others and finished with a new and light contact. Pleasant and wonderful, that kiss transmitted so many things on both sides. The delicious pressure that flooded the cheeks of the caramelized participants with red made them long for something that seemed unattainable.

Tanjirou broke the kiss as slowly as he started it, calming his pounding heartbeat. If he had continued could have sworn it was going to pierce his chest. He opened his eyes slowly and lost himself in Inosuke's features, attractive and even more exciting with that intense color on his face and lips, and his closed eyelids, decorated with those thick lashes.

An expression that left him completely at his mercy.


	8. Thirsty for blood

The visits became a night custom that made the nights wonderful. He did not care if he appeared bathed in demon blood every time, was in charge of cleaning him with pleasure. Although it was confusing. Did he meet them by chance when

felt their presence or did look for them from the beginning? Inosuke's situation outside the walls of the estate was unknown. It was strange, Tanjirou had never seen him in action outside. Only after or before, not during. It seemed that the wild boy had regained his eagerness to exterminate the weak demons that haunted the forest around the estate. It was like a kind of guardian that didn't allow anyone to get closer than expected. He was sure that he also used to hunt and feed before fighting against that demons.

Moon after moon, Tanjirou was lost in his eyes more and more until he fell prisoner in a jail of rose petals, butterflies and emeralds embedded in its walls. He didn't let a single opportunity pass to caress his sweet lips with owns. He felt in the seventh heaven when that contact was created. The other young man, not understanding very well the reasons for all these acts, allowed himself to be carried away by his own well-being. For his low mentality, the pleasure that the redhead boy's actions gave was more than enough to accept and follow his intentions. They had both gotten into a sugar bubble that wasn't going to be easy to get out of, although they weren't planning to either.

The swordsman had spent a couple of days mulling over his sentimental situation, unable to figure out what was wrong with the demon, and why. He wasn't sorry, but he needed to name those fantastic experiences. With his hands in him, caressing his back and soft fur, looked into his eyes. Those eyes that had so enraptured.

"Inosuke, I know you don't understand me. And I wish it wasn't like that..." He began to speak in a low tone, somewhat saddened by the fact that the wild boy didn't understand the verbal vocabulary. "But... I need to tell you. Even if you don't know what I'm saying... I've been feeling strange things since before all this. I tried to ignore and hide them." He looked down at those pale hands. "It was getting harder for me to endure, especially when you showed yourself with confidence without your mask and laughed. Or when you got so excited that you seemed willing to destroy everything. "He suppressed a slight nasal laugh. "What I mean is that... Not in a friendly way, but in a more... intimate..." His reddish gaze returned to green. "I like y-...

"Oh, sorry, I'm leaving." Goodbye! Zenitsu's voice appeared as soon as he left. He had come in to pay a little visit, and as soon as he opened, he closed again because of everything he heard.

"Zenitsu!" Tanjirou separated a little from the demon and released his hands. "It's not what it see-!"

"Have the balls to finish that sentence, Tanjirou." he had leaned out again when heard him, this time with a very upset face. He could be an idiot, but not stupid. He knew perfectly well what had heard, his ears were never deceiving. As he guessed, the redhead boy didn't continue the sentence for obvious reasons. That thing of lying didn't go much with him. He sighed deeply. "Let's see, I don't care. It's very good that you fall in love with A FUCKING VIOLENT DEMON. But I'm friends with both of you, don't lie to me like that." The very hypocritical put the excuse of Inosuke's new identity as a negative reason when he was likes Nezuko. Was half conscious of the little sense that this presented, but he had to disguise his jealousy somehow. That they could find each other so easily, and he, after so many attempts with the girls, still reeked in the love. "I leave you alone, but notice; I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN DIRTY SOUNDS, NO HITS ON THE WALL OR THE BED!" -and without more, closed and disappeared in a fury.

The young man with the scar was speechless, in mild shock. The heat wave that rose from head to toe reddened various areas of his body, including his chest, shoulders, and entire face. Inosuke didn't react to the blonde boy's appearance, nor to his words. At the time, he was lucky not to understand the words what was being said. Tanjirou snorted, awash with shame and the hands covering his reddish eyes. The demon realized this and was not too pleased about being deprived of seeing those red orbs. He wanted to withdraw his hands, tugging on the fingers a little. It didn't take more for the swordsman, of his own free will, to leave his face uncovered again.

"Sorry, I didn't expect that." gave a slight nervous laugh, sweating slightly. Cleared his throat and tried to regain his composure, taking a deep breath. "Well, what I was saying... is that I really like you. I didn't know how to see it at the time, but I have felt that way towards you for a long time..." He played gently with one of the bluish strands. "When you started transforming and your body suffered so much..." His smile faded. "I really thought I was going to lose you forever..." Unable to bear it, his eyes grew wetter, brighter. "After having met you, imagine a life without your existence... it breaks me whole." he wiped away the tears before any of it decided to fall. "I don't care if you are human or demon, you are still you. Your attitude, your way of doing things, your habit of repeating everything I do... -he said the last thing laughing. A weak but sincere laugh.

The boy with long hair did nothing but stare at him, as if he were paying attention to everything that came out of the other's mouth. It was centered intermittently between his lips and pupils. He was talking too much for what little or nothing he understood. Somewhat anxious, the demon leaned down and started a somewhat strong kiss. The first time he took the initiative, he was interested and desirous of the practice and not just let himself be carried away by Tanjirou. All she wanted was to feel his emotions on the surface again, how his hair stood on end and gave her warm chills in such a pleasant way. Night after night, he was getting a little addicted to kisses.

The redhead boy, for his part, did not reject him, but invited him even more by holding his chin and guiding him in the posture. He loved Inosuke's pure taste and clean scent to freedom. I would not find anyone as full of nature as him. Was he really in love? Maybe. Did he dare at that point to use such a big word? No, he didn't dare. Had hardly realized he liked him. His head needed some time to process.

Day after day, night after night, kiss after kiss ...

"You've been looking pretty happy lately, has something happened?" Aoi had finished checking the blows and had removed the bandages. She left a sticking plaster on the wound in his abdomen, it would take a little longer to completely close.

"I've only been thinking about everything that happened, and I'm glad Inosuke is here." With the head on the pillow and a dreamy smile closed his eyes. The girl knew what he meant. The young man with blue tips had been very lucky to survive the transformation.

"Great! Because today a general call has been scheduled. And you should all go. Nezuko too."

"That doesn't reassure me..." the blonde boy whispered, beginning to be pampered by the little girl demon and his tender touches. The anguish quickly passed.

"Is it important?"

The woman had captured his full attention.

"Yes, Kanao is much better and has decided to speak. She wants to tell everything saw and heard. It will help us a lot to understand what Inosuke's limits are and why many things. Or so I hope. I won't go, but I'll be informed once you're done."

"When it will be?" Zenitsu asked, grabbing Nezuko's hands.

"Probably at sunset, when the sun is about to go down. Inosuke has to avoid the day, you know that."

"Wait... What?" Knowing that the other demon was going to show up didn't give him much confidence. For his part, he was delighted, always loved seeing him. But Nezuko would be there and he didn't know what would come of having them both in the same place after that brutal fight. "And what about keeping them separate?" he pointed to her sister.

"No idea. It's an order of the Pillars. I don't know what they plan to do, but trust them, okay? They will have some reason."

Tanjirou wasn't convinced. He feared the mishap would happen again. Although with everyone and knowing when Inosuke could attack, it would be easier to avoid.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the afternoon flew by. The three walked to the late leader's main house, where their three children had created the meeting. The tension was palpable, the redhead kid was very restless. Compared to Zenitsu, it was nothing. Nezuko, oblivious to everything, was chasing after them. The rays of the sun were very few and weak, it wasn't of herself affected at present. They entered the open-door room and sat.

"Good afternoon." the redhead swordsman greeted with his usual good humor, trying not to look too nervous. The blonde boy stood to his left, and his sister to the opposite side.

"Welcome, young Kamado and Agatsuma." The only kid of the three children invited them verbally. "We were waiting for your arrival." The two young men nodded. "We have requested the presence of Nezuko for a reason that's essential to us, we hope it was not a nuisance.

"Not at all, it's okay. "The redhead boy wasn't too good at concealing concerns, which made the black-haired boy smile. What surprised him wasn't seeing the other demon. He was supposed to be present. It probably wouldn't appear until the sun was completely hidden.

"I proceed to start this meeting. As you well know, Shinobu Kocho, Insect Hashira, passed away in our fight against Kibutsuji. She chose Miss Kanao Tsuyuri as Tsuguko, who in view of the events and after formally recovering, has taken the test to become the new Pillar." Some didn't care and others were happy for her, entering the second group the two youngest swordsmen. "Her test will be treated and supervised only by the rest of the Pillars. Once informed of the case, we will proceed to give her the turn." The boy turned his strange eyes to the girl with the butterfly in his hair and nodded in permission.

She was very tense, anxious, anguished. But had decided to swallow all that, fight the pain caused by remembering the suffering of that day in that battle.

"I'm ready to tell everything that happened. And... thanks for the support and the compression by giving me time." She sighed softly, trying to calm down. "I..." tightened her skirt between her fists. "I was the first to cross and face that demon after Miss Shinobu. I could see how that demon absorbed her into his body and killed her like this... " paused. The story had already begun badly enough, without a hint that a victory condition had existed. "He said his name was Douma. It wasn't until a while after Inosuke appeared to save me. I was... almost about to lose. If he hadn't appeared, I would be..." breathed lightly. "That monster played with him and took his mask off for fun." There was a palpable annoyance in the environment when listening to the attitude that man had with the two hunters. Fiddling with them like that, bordering on ridicule... It was something they hated. "When he saw Inosuke's face... Then he stopped. He stopped fighting."

"It is for real? What the hell with that demon?!" -Sanemi didn't understand the behavior of the creature as Kanao told it. She nodded shyly. Tanjirou had heard something when he was there, but everything got so confused that he didn't know how to thinking it, taking away the fact that he had found out less than half when he came.

Douma... kept insisting Inosuke that knew him from something." And from that point, the bad vibes of those present rose. It didn't look good to begin with, and with each word that went, even less. At the time, all was interested in was remembering who he was, not fighting. "So when Inosuke got angry and attacked, the demon hurt him a lot to make him stay still. I tried... I tried to calm him down, I told that I just kept playing with him and that he didn't listen to his nonsense..." no one lost his attention on her. "He wanted to prove that everything he said was true. That demon... could remember everything from his two lives just by punching his brain... He did it. I was being honest. "He began to tell that met a woman... A girl who was mistreated by her husband. He explained that she ran away and he offered her refuge in his own home. That man suddenly said that this woman... had exactly the same face as Inosuke. Sh-she was his mother... -began to tremble slightly, looking at her knees and trying to control the anguish.

"A moment, kid. Repeat that. She was who?" Sanemi was starting to get upset.

"His mother, Sanemi." Uzui repeated. "Douma picked up his mother."

"Do you know what that means?!" cried the Wind Pillar, already anxious. "How the hell could that work?! A human and a demon! Do you realize, asshole?! He's the son of a demon, a Upper Moon!"

The pale, incredulous faces turned cold at the supposed revelation. Especially that of Tanjirou and Zenitsu, who couldn't assimilate the data. For them it was impossible, it could not be so. They did not want to believe it.

"N-no..." Kanao muttered. "That isn't like that..

-What do you mean?!" he screeched.

The boy leader made a slight gesture to silence Pillar. It was a very effective act. He ended up immediately silencing himself and regaining his composure.

"Inosuke was a baby when it happened." the girl continued. "Although you are not completely wrong... That demon didn't devour his mother. He wanted her by his side. So... he did act as a father figure despite not being connected by genes. But he confessed to having introduced his own blood into the baby without activating the effect... When the man told us that she left him because discovered him eating humans and threw Inosuke into the void in her escape, he caught up with her and killed. He said had no hope Inosuke would survive that, so didn't pick him up.

"My God..." Mitsuri covered her mouth, surprised and on the verge of tears by the tragedy of the story.

Seriousness filled every cubic centimeter in the room. The matter was much more serious than it first appeared. Tanjirou cursed Douma a thousand times, feeling a fierce flame of fire within him, eager to grow and burn every enemy demon in his path. Zenitsu didn't know how to feel, he understood a little better those attitudes of excessive ego that Inosuke had all his life. It was for lack of memories, lack of love, lack of family, lack of support... Only had himself to protect himself. He didn't imagine in the same situation. Would have gone crazy.

"Douma was making fun of his mom... Inosuke was so angry that I thought was going to start crying." Then she looked at the redhead boy. "Tanjirou got there. The demon took the opportunity to catch Inosuke and threaten us... We were about to free him, but his power was so difficult to bear... That monster..." She ducked his head, holding up all the pressure. "He hurt himself to activate his blood with a second mixture... I... I understood that he had just converted... I was so scared." Unable to bear it, she began to sob. "I couldn't... help anything."

The redhead kid realized then that it wasn't their fault. They had both been feeling the same way, believing they were solely responsible for the tragedy. But it wasn't, it was only two fleas for Douma. The rage, the anger, the despair of not having been able to avoid it ate at them inside.

"Tanjirou..." Zenitsu placed his hand on the other swordsman's shoulder. He was concerned about his expression, so similar to Kanao's. Packed with pain.

"Okay so, you can rest." The boy gave the girl a well-deserved respite. Their effort was recognized.

"Right now I hate that bastard a lot." the Pillar of the Wind commented bluntly.

"Did you manage to finish him off?" Giyuu asked.

"He died poisoned." Tanjirou completed.

"Hashibira possesses the blood of the Upper Second Moon, does he not? "the son of the late leader spoke again. He saw Kanao nod. "Himself is now, in a dormant and early stage. Muzan's blood runs indirectly inside him." His gaze hardened, watching everyone. "And Kibutsuji will come for what he considers belongs to him." An aura of general unrest rose. Tanjirou was clear, That demon wasn't going to touch a hair of his comrade, he wasn't going to allow it. "Be prepared, guard will be raised from now on." He shot a steady look at Uzui. The Pillar got up and left the room. "We will proceed to the next and last point of this meeting." locked her deep, blurry gaze on the boy with the scar. "Please, take your sister and guide her to the garden."

The redhead kid didn't understand why, but obeyed. He got up with Nezuko and went out with her, towards that rock garden where he had long presented himself as the one who would take revenge on Muzan. From there, everyone inside the room had complete vision of their positions.

Within a few minutes, Uzui was walking towards them, fighting a restless and pissed off Inosuke who wasn't letting himself be carried easily. The adult carried it over one shoulder like a sack. And this sack kept twisting, growling, and putting the hands all over his face in attempts to block the Uzui's sight and perception. Even got to put the fingers in his mouth and pull the corners.

"Keep you still, damn it!" He had to stop way to carry him well because the boy was falling with so much movement, something that the demon took advantage of to create weight with his physical strength and throw himself to the ground with him. "But hey!" He had already given in to the strange movement, couldn't get up. They started an energetic struggle, both rolling like crazy on the grass. The demon only wanted to go out on his night hunt, like every night. Go back, be cleaned by Tanjirou, eat kisses and be his watchman when he fell asleep until Giyuu came back. But of course, first he had to hunt, enter the forest that already classified as his territory and do what wanted to do. And the Hashira wouldn't let him do it.

The Pillars couldn't believe how surreal the scene was. Mitsuri held back her laughter as best she could, as did Obanai. The situation was funny for everyone, but they could better bear being amused by what was happening. Except for the scar swordsman, who had a smile that wasted tenderness. Zenitsu was paying more attention to Nezuko now that they had finished telling the important thing. They laughed out loud when Uzui nailed Inosuke's butt on the ground after having confused him up a bit. Pulled down on his shoulders to keep him pressed.

"Here you stay! Mad demon..." He didn't call it that with malicious intent, it was more an annoying nickname with a certain humorous touch.

Nezuko, being a spectator of it, also wanted to participate in the rolling game. She took a couple of quick steps towards them, but was stopped by Tanjirou's hand. She turned and looked at him blankly. The young man just shook his head, putting on that serious expression that immobilized her. The boy with blue tips noticed the movements, having the siblings a few meters ahead. He nailed his powerful emeralds to the female, unblinking, completely static. That attitude so stony began to raise concerns and warn the situation beforehand. His muscles began to tighten and contract, and he subtly bit his own lips after licking them almost imperceptibly.

Zenitsu, more attentive to the sounds he gave off, was getting sick and acquiring a slight panic attack that tried to hide for the good of his image. He raised a finger, trembling, pointing at the wild demon.

"I don't like it... I don't like the way he sounds..." whispered, but it was audible enough to draw attention He could feel that load on his head. He swallowed hard and costly. "As soon as he's seen her, he... His stomach has started to..." That to the blonde boymeant the worst. "He wants to eat her..." sobbed.

As soon as the sentence was over, Inosuke leaped like a fearsome predator onto his helpless prey, letting appear those terrible bones into his back. He scared Tanjirou very much, who protected the little woman with his arms. He didn't need it anyway, Uzui had forcibly seated the demon again and prevented him from advancing. But now that he was out of control, furious and hungry, had to cover him with his whole body to hold him back.

"Take her and run, we'll come after you! AARGH!" Inosuke had dug the nails deep into both arms, almost causing the tips to stick out the other side.

As the sibling began to run, the Pillars came to keep the young demon at bay. That was already planned, it was very possible that he lost control in front of Nezuko, although they did not know the reasons before. She and Tanjirou ran without stopping. The redhead boy felt his chest tighten, anguished, scared. His head began to wander then. Didn't understand how it was that he wanted to devour his sister. Didn't relate anything to it, except his hunting escapes, which always returned covered in demon blood and, curiously, he never managed to smell the blood of any animal, coming to think that he just couldn't notice it because the demon smelled strong... Little by little, it made sense. Inosuke did go hunting, he did eat, but not animal meat... He devoured demons, and what he enjoyed most was drinking its crimson juice. Only that first time when he escaped he wanted to hunt a vermin out of sheer despair at having nothing else to eat. The boy with the scar felt tears well up in his eyes. Not because of the demons, not because Inosuke killed them and took advantage of their remains, it really wasn't a bad thing that he fed on them. On the contrary, killed them before they could fade away. It was because his sister, being one too, was a simple dish for him. It hurt to see how the young man he loved had lost all feeling towards her and ended up seeing as a food. That pure and beautiful bond that the two had in common for be so white in nature; Nezuko so young, and he so innocent and inexperienced. All this had been broken by the damned poisonous and corrupt instinct that Douma had put inside him. He was afraid, very afraid that it was so easy to destroy something like this... Would the relationship so beautiful that both boys had, transforming into a sea of rancor and blood? No, Tanjirou would never do that to him, but Inosuke was chained to his inner demon, from him couldn't know if... He shook the head. It wasn't time to take pity on himself, he had to go on with Nezuko and wait. Nothing had to happen. Or so he hoped...

That same night, after keeping everything under control again, Inosuke didn't appear. He hoped, like every moon, that the demon would return from the forest and stay with him in the room. But it wasn't. He cared. Since his first show of intimate affection was given, the other boy didn't miss a single moment. What if had made him sad for running away like this? It wasn't for him, was just following an order and putting his sister safe. Could it be that he took it as the redhead kid no longer loved him, and instead feared him? He didn't know, he didn't know the exact limits of the long-haired boy's mind. No longer. Positioned himself sideways on his mattress, sighing with deep regret. Maybe he felt bad about losing control with her again? Because believed that Inosuke was aware that Nezuko was important to him, and if he tried to do something to him, he would hurt the redhead boy a lot. There were so many unanswered questions that no one could investigate... The white light filtered through the window, neat and beautiful. A shadow caught his attention. From the angle of it, seemed to come from the roof and was reflecting. He recognized the figure. So much fur from the head, what looked like huge horns on the head... They were the fangs of the mask. Got up as fast as his feet would allow him, opened the window, and looked up.

"Inosuke!"

But there was nothing there. He swore not to have imagined it, he really was there. And ran away from him...

Inosuke fled from Tanjirou.


	9. Demon, human or beast

He couldn't take it anymore, was going to end up going crazy, acquiring a mental illness if he hadn't already started suffering from it. The first two days had no problem, but it was getting too long. Week and a half. A week and a half in which Inosuke never returned. Generally, he was aware the demon was present on the estate every night, otherwise the Pillars would have given immediate notice. Which didn't happen. So he supposed. Unfortunately, it didn't erase his restlessness, his discomfort, his doubts. Didn't notice a miserable trace of him, just a little his smell of earth and pine. Every night he refrained from getting up and looking for to talk to him, despite being unable to be answered back. He was convinced that at some point he would return, that if he went after him would only be pressuring the demon. For what he endured. So many lonely and empty nights, without his caresses, without his kisses, without his beautiful eyes feeding the soul with peace. Shifted under the covers and looked out the window, the depressing, sad, gray air hovering over every corner of the room. He wasn't sure if Inosuke could be like this much longer. If the wild boy didn't come back it was because he wasn't feeling well with Tanjirou, so it wasn't in his plans to go and break his space yet. Closed his eyes with great regret in his heart and tried to clear his mind, trying to get at least a few hours of sleep.

Furthermore, the feral kid hadn't changed his routine except for having stopped visiting Tanjirou. Why? He didn't know. His psyche hadn't evolved enough to start being able to question things. He was only acting on how he felt. And with the redhead boy, after seeing run away from him with that disappointed face... it made him feel a thousand swords piercing his guts, parasites devouring his demonic heart from within and spiders weaving endless thick webs in his brain. All bad. Everything was wrong. He didn't want to feel such unpleasant things, and the solution for him wasn't to be with the slayer. The feelings subsided if he didn't see him, if didn't hear him. At the time, his only motivation was to eat. It was a heavenly way in which he stopped suffering completely. Until the prey ended. When it happened, the pain would come back. So he had already hunted three weak, unimportant demons. Two of them very huge. And even at that size, he was unsatisfied. His body wouldn't undergo any physical change if ate more or less, but his power did. The more he devoured, the stronger he became. And the more powerful the dish, the more powerful he was after finishing it. But that had a price; little by little, his memories would die out. That human flash of his head that locked Inosuke, would die to leave only the existence of a cruel, ruthless, violent and power-hungry being. Luckily or unluckily for him, all he found were demons so weak that he was still far from reaching that point.

Bathed in blood and dirt, he continued his search with a huge tribal spear. He had been carving it while staying locked in during daylight hours. If he could, would deny that Pillars had helped him a little. Hadn't forgotten his toothed swords, were always with him. Better three weapons than two. It was perfectly camouflaged with the landscape thanks to the large boar head and its long fur, covering him entirely when bent down. His bare feet stomped silently and sensed every vibration on the ground, while the rest of the body received ripples from the air. He took a stalking position, noticing the presence of something huge in his pores. A normal body, but it harbored an unmatched strength that, somehow unsettling, paralyzed him with fear. He stopped breathing. He was scared, on the verge of panic. His first intention was to run, to flee. Those actions were precisely ones that the true Inosuke would never do, but that thing was too much even for him. He felt a little hare compared to the presence, which would come to resemble that of a poisonous snake. He remained in place, unable to move until, with some fury, he exited the trance.

He didn't have time.

In front of him was that elegant figure. He recognized. Had already seen him somewhere. And not of good memories.

"Oh, I have come across a little boar. How lucky I am..."

Muzan Kibutsuji.

His body warned him of a danger that was impossible to avoid. Running away was no longer useful. Nothing was. He growled like a furious animal, feeling threatened and defending himself with gestures. He perceived a brought soft, chilling laugh from the man.

"How cute. And brave. No demon that knows who I am has ever dared to growl to me like that." If they had, he would have killed them for assholes. But it was fun for him to come from that young boy, so he would allow it. Scanned him up and down with great interest. "You devour demons... That will be a problem. I'm sure that right now you want to sink your teeth on me, but you are so afraid that you forget your hunger." He approached very slowly, rattling his hard shoes against the ground. "Oh, Douma, the kid has been flawed..." he whispered.

Inosuke wanted to leave, but his feet were nailed and his muscles as stiff as stones. He began to breathe heavily, generating a sound similar to when a large animal sighed. The hand holding his spear trembled. Had an unconscious terror towards that guy and that was pissing him off. He hated feeling weak. And the worst thing was that his guts asked for the food in front of him.

"You are afraid, but you're still hungry. What kind of trash have you been eating?" He stopped at a certain closeness, one that the boy disliked. "We can fix this. I can help you. You just have to... "He put the arm around the sharp point of the spear and hurt himself. Blood began to drip from the cut under the emerald-looking eyes. That limb came much closer. "... drink a little." Again the misshapen, chilling smile. "And a small piece of my meat as a gift for having managed to keep your exemplary oiran tayu face after the transformation." he compared his appearance with that of the most beautiful and unreachable courtesans in the Red Light District. Beneath his crimson irises, the inexperienced demon abandoned the defensive position, pleasantly interested in quenching his damned desire.

The effects of Muzan's blood on demons were already known. It made them so powerful, so inhuman. At the cost of a high percentage of dying poisoned. It was a gift from heaven at the same time as the doors to death.

He was hypnotized by something, he wasn't reacting to the environment. Only that bleeding arm that had permission to take a chub and that looked as if it were a treasure that only he had been condemned to have. Silence washed over the forest, where only the whistles of the breeze and the night creatures existed.

"Show me what you are. Devour me."

Tanjirou kept stirring in his bed. Tired of the situation and with uncomfortable heat, he sighed and got up. Maybe a little fresh air could do him good. Stepped out into the garden, slow and heavy, staring at the floor at all times. He sat down on the wooden edge, being touched by the cool, gentle breeze. Closed his eyes, letting himself be carried away by the feeling of temporary well-being. It didn't last long. The touch of the wind couldn't erase Inosuke's tracks. Suppressing a groan, he entered again. Walked past his room and stood in front of the blonde boy's door. He knocked for 30 seconds until it was opened by the other kid, who was rubbing his eyes, tired and disheveled.

"Tanjirou?" He murmured, half opening his haggard eyelids.

"Can I ask you a favor? I'm sorry about the time, but I can't be calm..."

"What happen?" His friend's latent discomfort was enough to finish waking him up.

"I need to look for Inosuke. I can't handle this anymore. I have to speak to him and make him understand."

Oh, Tanjirou... "He felt sorry, very sorry. It saddened him to see the redhead boy so depressed when he was always a positive and happy person. Couldn't believe that such a change had been caused by that stupid boar.

Inosuke swallowed hard, feeling beads of sweat run down his pale neck. The temptation was gigantic, very promising. The colorful blood was dripping, wasting away little by little. Such an attractive color, so tasty. His mouth was salivating too much, so he swallowed constantly.

"How long have you been looking for worthwhile prey? It must have been so maddening for you..." Kibutsuji was gaining more and more interest from the young man. Being both demons, the wild kid could understand his words.

He was searching from the start. From the damn start without decent prey. Only weak monsters that were useless to him. And finally, like a light of hope that frightened his worth and heightened his fears, Muzan appeared to save him from going crazy. Very slowly, with some internal terror, released his spear, put the hands on the other's arm and held it with a delicacy worthy of an angel, preventing his long nails from brushing against the man's skin. At the same time, rhythm, he brought his face closer while closing the bright eyes. His lips parted and he stuck out his tongue, preparing it to lick that cherry juice. A gesture easily misinterpretable by many, and lewd for same.

When he was about to touch the delicious blood with his papillae, nailed Muzan's arm with each and every one of his claws, piercing through both sides. With a short scream of mild pain and surprise, the man pulled away at breathtaking speed as Inosuke's aggressive, almost disfigured smile returned the same human face to his features that he used when excited about fighting.

Muzan immediately regenerated and glared at the boy. How had been deceived in such a way? That stupid brat had teased him! He was as insolent as Douma himself. Unlike the adult demon, the young kid did have the guts to be proud of. And that facet pleased him. It was perfect for a demon.

"Mindless child..." He let out a hoarse laugh. It was the first time he had been excited. Normally he was so serious, so calm... And out of nowhere, that boy turned his attitudes upside down. Now he understood better why Douma did it.

"Inosuke!" A happy, relieved and very recognizable voice was heard from the bushes.

"Is he really there?" And one more, coming from the same side.

Tanjirou had found him. From a little further, the redhead boy managed to smell and see his demon. He focused so much on the scent that he ignored the second one.

No. Not again. That intense pain appeared with Tanjirou. Why couldn't he let him breathe? Just wanted not to suffer. Didn't the slayer see that his presence was harmful?

"There you a-... re..." He couldn't believe what his red eyes were seeing. If weren't real, I'd think it was some kind of hallucination.

"So are we done?" Zenitsu also emerged from the bushes and froze, on the verge of collapse.

"What a pleasant surprise..." the tall elegant man murmured when he saw them alone.

"Muzan..." the one with the scar roared, taking position and putting his hands on the handle of his sheathed sword. "You're going to pay for everything, do you hear me? EVERYTHING!" Tanjirou looked like someone else when he let his anger flow. Was imposing, respectable, and powerful in aura. However, nothing affected the adult demon.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Inosuke charged a powerful blow to the stomach of Kibutsuji, who was surprised by it and sent like a projectile against the nearest tree. When it collided, the stem broked to backward.

"My God..." Zenitsu exclaimed for the two humans. That enormous force explained perfectly that he was a demon with clear ideas. He had caused a major impact on their heads. The blonde boy mentally wrote down never to disturb the wild kid again.

Not having enough, the long-haired young man threw himself once more, his characteristic murderous bones being born from his back. He should have crashed into his adversary again, but he continued his journey without waiting for it. Muzan was gone, and he couldn't stop his run. From behind, he received a powerful downward elbow that made him lose his air and crash on the ground.

"LEAVE HIM!" It was Tanjirou's turn to brandish his sword and attack with everything.

Kibutsuji dodged almost effortlessly due to the erratic, anger-laden moves the redhead boy made. Rage wasn't a good ally in battles like that.

Zenitsu ended up collapsing completely and going unconscious.

"What are you planning attacking me like that?"

The kid with the scar didn't reply, but increased his speed. But it was in vain. No cut reached his demonic skin. Until one of them brushed his shoulder. Almost at the same time, the blonde boy's perfected electric Breath hit him in the back.

Muzan disappeared for a moment to move to another spot, a little bloody. He was looking very seriously at the rabid redhead slayer and the boy in the yellow haori who kept his eyes closed and standing.

"Just because I have my attention on another target doesn't mean you can do something else."

Inosuke appeared from the side and started a spear battle against bare hands. He swung and wielded the weapon with agility and dexterity, circling himself at times to generate more speed, almost looking like an ancient god-worship dance. And Muzan completed the dance with the blockages of his palms and arms. Stitch after stitch, blockage after blockage. Kibutsuji grabbed the stick just as the young demon was going to move with him, causing him to break. But it didn't seem to affect the boy. He used both parts of the weapon, returning to the beat. With one he hit and with the point he tried to stab and slit. After a turn of his own and a failed leg sweep, Muzan took advantage of his posture to kick his belly up, lifting him up into the air. Ignoring the pain, the kid threw the front part of the spear into the face of the adult demon, who covered himself with his arms crossed. Inosuke stepped on them and used as support to jump and flip backwards to avoid an obvious counterattack. He used the trunk of a nearby tree to repeat the same support and jumped again, this time from the front and from above, having brought out his famous high-ripped swords, ready to tear.

At the same time, from one side, Tanjirou launched himself with his red-hot Breath. And from the contrary, Zenitsu electrocuted the air that brushed his path.

A perfect vision of teamwork. A cooperation based on the trust, commitment and friendship of the three. Demon or not, they were a powerful trinity. Lightning, Beast, and Flaming water. A joint attack that, mixed, generated an explosion. On the opposite side to where they entered, they left the dust cloud, closing their attacks in their respective final positions.

Tanjirou turned, fixing his eyes on the haze of earth. He couldn't be calm until he saw Kibutsuji somehow. Carefully circling the cloud of smoke he passed Zenitsu. Nothing was heard. He continued walking, but Inosuke wasn't where he should be. That confused and scared them.

"Are you looking for this?" Muzan showed himself on the branch of a tree, not very high. At the foot of the trunk rested the ripped swords, thrown without any care, as well as the head and boar fur. And from the closed hand of Kibutsuji hung the other demon, who with an expression of terrible stabbing pain in his scalp, was holding on to his long mane. In futile attempts to loosen the tightness, he clutched at his hair just below where the man had it hooked. Tears streamed down the corners of his tightly closed eyes.

"INOSUKE!" Tanjirou was about to go for him, but Muzan noted his disagreement and raising the wild boy higher, causing more tightness in his blue hair and a scream that allowed his sharp fangs to show.

"In your place I wouldn't do it." He drew the younger man close to him and held his face with his free hand, squeezing his cheeks a little and forcing him to look into his intense red eyes. "It would be a shame to waste so much aggressive talent." He pulled her face so close that he could almost brush his lips with his own. "Deep down I don't want to kill him." And when he spoke, brushed the other lips when he moved hims.

A powerful anger plunged Tanjirou into a state of unhealthy jealousy, but he couldn't let be carried of despair and make the mistake... It was the same situation. Exactly the same. That brought him so much anguish at once...

"Get your nasty face away from him..." he growled angrily, feeling his blood boil inside the veins as if it were lava.

"Oh. Why I should? Faces like this are made to be enjoyed." he was playing with Tanjirou. He knew that the angrier the slayer was, the more mistakes he could make. And therefore, the more advantage would have himslef. "I don't understand your insistence. This boy wouldn't hesitate to kill your beloved friends... And still want him close? Humans are reckless."

It went through his chest like a bullet shot. Fast, unstoppable. And it was true... Very reluctantly, Muzan wasn't lying. But then he saw Inosuke, his efforts to learn, his constant fight to control himself with everyone so as not to cause damages that as a human he wasn't capable of causing. Remembered the sincerity of his emeralds, the pureness of his emotions. He wasn't a monster, he was a different person with different power.

"You don't know anything..." the redhead kid murmured. Kibutsuji was so sure of what he said that he forgot that he did not know the young wild man in the least.

"He will show me." pulled the face away from him a little to position his mouth on the boy's ear as he continued to stare at the redhead slayer. "It's a unique specimen, and it has part of me in its veins. It's more than enough." He directed the sharp pupils at his demonic victim. "You'll be better off without so many stupid rules. You have the power of two great demons inside, I can teach you how to use it." Although he spoke to the wild young man, Tanjirou and Zenitsu could hear. The second boy he would forget because was still in his trance. "You have Douma's number, I know. Use it as it deserves... Come with me, be my New Upper Second Moon.

"HE NEVER WILL!"

As they spoke, Inosuke was able to sneakily take a last chance. All along he had been hiding the stone dagger under the fur skirt, tied to that pink ribbon on his thigh. Attacking Muzan in his condition was suicide. Had only one option left. With a quick movement, he released one hand and reached for his small weapon, holding his own weight as best he could at the roots of his scalp. With a clean cut, he cut all that long hair that remained in the hands of the adult demon while he fell, free. Taking advantage of his stupefaction, when he planted his feet on the ground, threw the knife and stabbed fiercely into Kibutsuji's left eye, who hunched over and covered his face, releasing the long dead hair in the process, creating a rain slow motion of black and blue strands. He picked up his swords and quickly pulled his boar fur over his arm after it.

The three boys took advantage to flee. That survival instinct that they had from the beginning, but that they couldn't execute due to the circumstances. They ran without looking back. They felt Muzan on their heels, in a fury. As soon as they entered Pillar territory, Kibutsuji's presence stopped, but they didn't stop until they reached the interior of the Estate.

They dropped to the ground, exhausted and panting. Zenitsu woke up suddenly, not knowing where he was.

"What happened? Weren't we out? Ah, Inosuke is here, he's back!" He hadn't knew anything.

Tanjirou raised the head from the ground and looked at the demon lying on his pale back, as tired as he was. His mane had been lost, but he had recovered that hairstyle with which had been seeing him for so long since he met him. It was much more shocking, it was like looking directly at his human self... but it wasn't. It felt so strange not to see him with his long hair now... Had related the length to the demonic identity, and the medium mane to the human identity. Watch him like this now, with both characteristics together, caused unknown sensations. When kissed him, he was aware that wild boy looked like someone else, and Tanjirou got used to it. After this, seeing the true Inosuke again for real and thinking about his kisses... it was much more pleasant and exciting.

The redhead kid crawled up to him and peered at the other boy from above, watching as his bushy lashes parted to give way to the emerald eyes. Gave him a smile so serene, so sincere, that the demon stopped feeling those internal pains at his presence. Both were captivated by the gaze of the other.

"T-Tan..."

Tanjirou almost lost his sanity. Did he just...? Pronounced the first syllable of his name! Zenitsu's mouth dropped open, his hands fanning at the mysterious light drama.

"Yes, Inosuke!" Tan..." the slayer invited him to continue, wasting happiness and emotion through every pore on his skin. Saw how the demon moved his lips in a very subtle way, but he didn't speak again. "Come on! You can do it. Just a little more..." Tanjirou encouraged him with so much momentum.

"Tan..." He himself decided to stop for a moment to raise his pale hand towards the redhead boy, who squeezed between his. "Tanketsu."

Suddenly and without warning, the blond kid began to laugh with enormous force. He was going to burst his lungs by himself. Meanwhile, Tanjirou's face was petrified with a tight smile and an incredulous expression.

"Inosuke..." he whispered hoarsely, hiding her eyes in the shadow as ducked the head. With Zenitsu's laughter in the background, launched himself at the young wild man and sat him down in a tight hug as he clung to him. "I adore you!" didn't care if he said it wrong. Precisely, that was the essence of the boy, that was one of the joking and trusting ways in which he named him. Didn't know if he was really aware of his correct name, but that was much more than enough by now.

The blond slayer shrugged his laughs until he stopped laughing and wiped the tears from the effort.

"Oh god, that was very great." The best situation he'd seen in quite some time. He had almost forgotten what it was like to laugh like that.

He was out of control, anxious, happy, excited... The redhead boy couldn't cope with all that. It was going to end up exploding like a firework. He took the demon's face firmly and kissed him with great energy and firmness.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Zenitsu covered his golden eyes, completely embarrassed and red as a tomato. "I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE! AAAAHHH!" On the brink of the anxiety attack, he ran off like a madman, doing them the favor of leaving them alone.

For Inosuke it was a sudden thing, he hadn't tried such hard and strong contact before, but it didn't mean that he disliked it. Lost and clumsy, he tried to get carried away. After a few seconds, the redhead kid stopped the kiss with the same energy that he started it with. He nailed his round pupils to the other boy, losing himself in that magical green.

"Forgive me. I never wanted to hurt you..." he pulled both foreheads together delicately. "I know you can control yourself. You are very strong and can against anything.

Somehow, what little he understood of those words made a deep impression on him. His emeralds shone like sparkles and inside it was reflected the feeling that just having heard was already very powerful. He slowly curled the lips to part them and outlined a radiant white smile that got an extra tenderness thanks to his fangs.

Tanjirou's heart melted.


	10. The white paradise

Uzui was sent to supervise the mishap that the black raven had been responsible for reporting that night. According to the bird, the boys had entered the forest and were delaying millennia to show signs of life again. After turning the corner, Zenitsu bumped into him and fell onto his back on the grass, making a slight moan. The man, confused, observed the reddened and altered state of the young kid.

"Agatsuma?" He inspected each stain of dirt and blood, ignoring reasons why the bird raised the alarm. It seemed that the boys had a slight problem. "Where are your friends?" circled him and started walking towards the direction the blond kid came from. He was grabbed by the arm, causing a look of slight surprise. "What?"

"Don't go, it's not a good time!"

"But, what do you say, boy?" wasn't going to pay too much attention to his warnings. As Pilar and an adult, had to ensure the well-being of the youngest, and two others were missing.

"Nooo!" Zenitsu hooked to his clothes and tugged at it, to no avail. The poor kid was being dragged.

A little further, he was able to visualize Tanjirou helping Inosuke get up. But something was out of place. The blond boy stopped pulling when he saw that the kiss scene was over. Uzui positioned himself in front of them with the arms crossed, seeing that they were in the same dirty state as Zenitsu. And something else. He could see it perfectly under that boar head.

"And your hair?" asked, filled with curiosity. It was strange to see him again with that hair on the shoulders being a demon. Like everyone else, had become accustomed to relating his new demonic nature to long hair. "You have many explanations to give. What the hell were you doing?"

"We're sorry about everything, really." The redhead kid bowed, showing his regret. "But... Muzan had intercepted Inosuke." The adult dropped his arms wide-eyed, stunned by the revelation. An attitude that allowed the boy to continue. "If we hadn't gone out looking for him..." and it wasn't necessary to add more, it was understood that it would have been a disaster.

"You have had an impressive luck to get out alive." fixed his hard gaze on the depths of the treetops that peeked out from the other side of the estate. They were going to have to extend the field of protection much further. The forest wasn't safe. "You won't step on the ground outside the estate until further notice." The stiffness of his words kept Tanjirou and Zenitsu's muscles tense. And Inosuke? He didn't understand him, but if could, he gave a fuck. "Go back to your rooms." Without further words, he took the demon by the hand and tried to take him away. The boy dug his heels into the grass and resisted, stopping Pillar. "Come on, the sun is about to rise." He pointed to the sky, which had a slightly lighter shade than it had a few minutes ago. That was enough for the wild kid to understand, and therefore not resist.

Walking away on the walk, the bluish-tippeds boy turned his head back. He didn't know why for a while they had decided to separate him every day from his friends, if inside the house was safe from sunlight. Tanjirou could sense that devastating expression of confusion and denial from a distance. He sighed, catching regret. Did really trust Inosuke?... Could be sure his sister was safe if the feral demon was around?... It hurt him so much to answer himself because realized that, in a way, had lied to him unintentionally. No. His personal answer to the questions was no, and he felt terribly wrong. Couldn't say otherwise until saw with his own eyes the boar boy hold back. To his disgrace, he wasn't present when that had already happened that same night with Kibutsuji.

The night hours in his company were again colored, each brighter than the last. Tanjirou always talked to him about how the day had been; meals, workouts, games... And Inosuke listened silently, keeping constant attention. Time flew when they got together, it was never enough. Even the kisses were beginning to be too little. The redhead kid yearned more and more to cross new horizons, to try other caresses, other areas to kiss. But didn't dare, was too embarrased about it, and the demon wasn't able to advance either, since he understood zero of the matter.

"I know it hurts... Just hold on a little longer. Don't close you." Hearing the swordsman's words, the wild man emitted a plaintive groan, which made the other one feel a little guilty. "The more you move, the more it will hurt..." was feeling very sorry. If continued like this in pain, he would quit. "I'm gonna... take it out a bit. Please don't move." The demon gave a short, small cry as Tanjiro pulled that white splinter from his gum. "There it is, I'm sorry for the bad time."

Inosuke closed his mouth and pressed the fangs from the outside with his fingers. He was able to taste his own blood until the wound regenerated. Looked at the redhead boy with an annoyed and grumpy expression.

"At least you learned devouring bones too can hurt your mouth. What if the wound had been on the inside of your body? You would be dying of pain right now and nobody could-..." he barely had time to breathe when the demon kicked him and made him fall from the bed to the floor. The kid with the scar rubbed the back of his head and groaned under the breath. Sat up and leaned over the edge of the mattress. "Why did you-?" didn't give him time to ask the question, because his lips had been sealed by the opposites. He closed the eyes and completely forgot that he had been attacked. Got up slowly so he could climb back up without breaking contact. As advanced he pushed the wild boy back. The sharp reddish claws clung to his back so the demon didn't suffer the same fall.

Every second added to that kiss deepened it and began to send out waves of searing heat that enhanced the intense color of their faces. Tanjirou slowly separated a couple of centimeters to observe the demon's provocative and effeminate expression. It drove him crazy. Rejoined him again and continued to drop until Inosuke reached the comfort of the mattress and pillow. The redhead boy allowed part of his own weight to rest on the body below him. Lost between sensations, malice made a small visit and forced the slayer to bite the other's lower lip. His left elbow supported, while the right hand caressed the pale side of the wild boy, feeling in the fingers every curve, every muscle. Passion blinded his reasoning and made him invade the opposite mouth with his tongue, looking for the rival.

The demon didn't bother to understand what he was doing all this for, what Tanjirou wanted to achieve inside his mouth. Preferred to focus on enjoying those actions that seemed so strange to him. Didn't care, he still didn't have the intelligence to tell the good from the bad. If he liked it, he would. Without more mysteries. Out of instinct, his own wet muscle began to react on its own, without controlling it. The movements of the lips became wide and hot, hiding a battle for control and domination. The sweat appeared little by little and covered some parts of the whiter and more exposed body with glitter. They both controlled their breaths in such a way that they didn't need to stop.

Tanjirou was starting to get dizzy from the abundant sensations. That wasn't good, if ended up passing out he would leave Inosuke lying suddenly. He had to stop the act. The other man looked a little bad, irritated. Beginning to be aware of his surroundings, realized that if he had continued... His heart was pounding, nervous. Screamed at himself internally for having gotten out of control knowing that the demon knew nothing of the situation. He felt like an abuser who took advantage of his victim's little knowledge to... to do **that thing**.

"Don't look at me like that..." whispered, trying to relax and avoiding looking at that face that made him lose his mind so much. He lay down next to him and closed the eyes, but he wasn't going to sleep yet. It would calm the wild boy first. His gentle hand brushed the pale cheek fondly. The smile that appeared on him was one of pure happiness. Approached the demon and huddled him as close as possible, hugging and transmitting all the security and confidence of he was capable.

The other boy alowed it, he liked that too. His emerald eyes watched as the redhead kid's eyelids slowly closed. It was 10 more minutes until he fell asleep with the arm covering his naked and painted torso. Inosuke didn't stay more than half a minute there. He got up, picked up his boar fur, took one last look at the swordsman and went out the window onto the roof.

The moon hidden by subtle clouds couldn't shine as much as other nights, the light mist drowned its light a little. Behind the sea of trees a nearby hill loomed. Whenever he could climb to the top of the house, took the opportunity to observe it. From a distance it seemed a beautiful and calm place. He didn't imagine the kind of green and flowery paradise that would be closer, or even treading his land. The breeze gently floated her dark half-mane and the long fur that fell from his head and behind his back. What if he went to see it? Really wanted to go into that mountain. He still gave him time to do it, the night was still young. Wanted to get up when a stabbing pain in his eyes kept him sitting, forcing him to put the hands to his face and tighten the sockets behind his closed eyelids. Felt like his eyeballs were being ripped out, mercilessly tugging on his retinas. Spread his palms slightly apart and tried to open them. He saw the world in red. Rubbed hard, rubbing the crimson substance all over his hands and arms. The breathing quickened and his pulse increased in power. Left his arms for protection, covering the top of his bloody face.

After that, Inosuke didn't rest again, fearful that the situation would recur and he would become blind. It was impossible for him to calm down and feel good in such a panic of losing his sight. There were many more moons in a row that kept him on edge. He was full with anguish, so peace and quiet did't return with him. The nights were as terrible as the first. At about the same hour, his eyes were bleeding and in excruciating pain, accompanied by a feeling of deep fainting.

He tried to resume his usual routine, more and more interested in that splendid mountain. It was like this for two long weeks, dying in silence and with those attacks on his emeralds becoming increasingly long and difficult to bear. Most of the time he ended up unconscious on the roof, and when woke up, he did in a different place, without remembering anything except the pain.

The raven's squawking cackle echoed throughout the Butterfly Estate. Was yelling a new mission about the two boys who had just said goodbye to Nezuko and awaited the arrival of the wild boy. It had been a very long time since they had been entrusted with a mission. They could then see their friend, being always brought and carried by Uzui.

"Good evening, guys. Ready for work?" he knew they were happy just seeing the sparkle in their eyes. Or maybe... Only in the redhead kid. Zenitsu was wailing with tears.

"We are!" although he would have liked his sister to join. It was the first time had gone without her.

That's how I like it!" the Hashira tapped Inosuke gently on the shoulder, being careful not to put the hand on his pointy bone and nail it into the palm. "I hope you let them participate, huh. Try not to steal all their work, Hashibira."

The reasons why he said that were obvious. The demon was much more powerful and stronger than his two friends just for being what he was. A little unfair, but nothing could be done to change it. He carried a new spear on his back, the swords on his hips and, hidden in the thigh, a metal dagger that they decided to forge in the same pattern as the blades of their swords. He must take full advantage of each of his abilities, no matter if they were pure agility or accuracy. Not everything resided in the Breaths. They were able to witness it when he had that artistic confrontation against Kibutsuji. It really seemed like it was planned by both of them to look spectacular.

The Pillar approached the other two boys for a moment and became quite serious.

"Keep an eye on him, he has been behaving strangely for two weeks. He may very well be afraid of something." he murmured.

That caught the one with the scar by surprise, because with him Inosuke behaved like every night. Although... it was true. Now that remembered, was smelling fear in him and didn't pay much attention to it because of another stronger and more attractive scent that the demon was also giving off. He nodded at Uzui's request, ignoring the crying blond boy, who wanted to stay asleep in his nice room.

"The crow has already said it. He will guide you to the mountain where your target is located." He left an awkward silence. "Be careful." so much time with those boys grew in appreciation, and he wasn't the only Pillar who was a victim of the ease with which the young boys made themselves loved.

Inosuke was very energetic, had completely forgotten about the problem he was secretly dragging over his eyes. He hit the trees with the head, with powerful attacks, from here to there. Tanjirou was infected with the happiness that the aggressive boy wasted, was amused by his attitude, although...

"Inosuke, it's possible you may be stronger now, but you're going to hurt yourself in the end." Each time the boar kid crashed, he went behind, trying to stop him peacefully. The boy's skull wasn't as hard as his, and the mask no longer covered his entire head, so it didn't fully protect.

"He's crazy." Zenitsu commented, sweating cold and with an expression of discomfort. "He's very crazy." he've always thought about it and always will. Made the redhead slayer laugh softly, who cut off his slight laugh as he felt a small annoying impact on his back.

The demon had lashed out at him with a harmless head butt. The two long fangs of the boar head were under the slightly raised arms of the red swordsman. He was lucky that there was a good distance between each one, if not, he would have gored. The blond boy, seeing it, lost part of his soul through the mouth.

"It's definitive, I will never stop believing he's crazy!" It could have killed Tanjirou, according to him.

It really wasn't that bad. The wild young man wasn't seeking to harm Tanjirou, so he took every detail into account to avoid it. And that, the taller boy knew.

"Nothing happens, Zenitsu. He knows how to move." smiled and took the opportunity to slightly turn the body and put his hand on the animal head.

Inosuke looked up at the lightning swordsman and stared at him for a few seconds that were quite tense for Zenitsu. Without warning, the demon ran towards him. The blond kid's first reaction was to start fleeing loudly.

The road to that mountain was very entertaining, apart from terrifying for the young crybaby. The route was shortened thanks to this. And luckily for Inosuke, tonight was one of the few that was spared bleeding from his eyes.

They entered and began to tread, confused, thick layers of snow.

"And this? We aren't in winter. We weren't advised of this." Zenitsu was complaining, his head asking a tangle of questions.

"I don't think it was the storm. It looks like the work of a demon..." answered the other swordsman.

As they progressed, the temperature became colder and colder. The trees were frozen, and the branches of the bushes resembled glass decorations. The cold was beginning to penetrate his skin and slightly entrap his muscles. Slight tremors were present. Their breaths expelled warm, whitish mist in contrast to the icy air. They continued down a long slope, trying their best to go uphill. Reached the edge of a cliff and looked out, seeing the entire landscape filled with the purest and most beautiful white. It was a huge, beautiful and deadly work of snow and ice.

Nevertheless...

"It's strange... I can't smell the presence of anything." The redhead boy couldn't perceive a single enemy demon.

"I don't hear anything either." And it seemed that Zenitsu was in the same situation. Not even the wild young man was feeling vibrations.

"I don't understand. The demon should be close..."

"Well, we'll have to go back. If it's not here, we can't do anything. Come on, our comfortable beds await us." Zenitsu just wanted to get out of there.

"But, Zenitsu, we have to stay until he appears. We cannot return without having complied. That's not right." always so correct and responsible. He caused a deep complaint in the blond kid, although he managed to convince him by appealing to reason. "We will look for a refuge for when it dawns and we will continue."

Both of them noticed something desperate to the palest of the three. Zenitsu could hear his hunger, and Tanjirou could smell his anxiety. The poor man had been content until a moment ago, believing that they would find this enemy quickly, and then he devour him after defeating. No luck. Tapped his foot against the snow in anguish and a grimace of displeasure and annoyance hung over his wrinkled feminine face.

"Inosuke." Tanjirou caught his attention, and when got it, he took off his green and black haori and put it around his pale body. "You must be cold. It's not much, but you will be warmer." that hobby of going bare-chested, sometimes, wasn't too healthy.

It didn't take long for them to find a cave. It wasn't large, but it was large enough to shelter several people. After that, and remembering the place, they continued searching for hours. The blond boy was exhausted, and his complaints doing nothing but lowering their spirits and angering Inosuke even more. At various times, Tanjirou had to grab him so that he wouldn't launch himself into attacking Zenitsu. They were all tired and irritable, and the hours went by without mercy. Until clarity appeared. They had been so intent on finding the damned monster that they were unaware of the speed at which the night had passed.

"**The sun!**" the redhead cursed mentally. "Come on, we have to go back!" They needed to return to that cave they had previously located.

The demon was the first to run away in every shadow he saw. They had gotten too far from the place, so it was quite complicated later, since the light was already hitting directly. The swordsman with the scar positioned the green and black garment so that it covered him entirely.

It was an intense and dangerous hour for the wild boy, but fruitful. Finally entering the shelter, he sat bolt upright on the hard rock cave floor, being muffled by his pompous fur skirt. His comrade's haori fell from his head and stayed on the shoulders. Despite the day, the cold continued to penetrate to the bones.

"Zenitsu, we have to look for dry firewood. It's very cold..." Tanjirou shifted and rubbed his own arms, slightly shrunken. Every time someone opened their mouths, the warm mist that barely lasted a second in the air was emitted.

"B-but we haven't rested at all. How are we gonna to go like this?" His voice was shaking violently and it was a little difficult to understand him.

"And how can we rest without heat?" He sighed and smiled slightly and sympathetically. "Okay, you can stay with Inosuke. I will go for the wood."

"NO! I GO WITH YOU!" It seemed he still panicked to be left alone with the wild young man.

The redhead boy increased his expression, satisfied with the last decision. Turned his gaze to the demon, who was keeping an eye on them for no apparent reason.

"We'll be back soon, don't go out, okay?" was aware that Inosuke knew he couldn't set foot out of the cave or he would start to fade into ashes.

Fuel collection was somewhat durable. Every branch they found was wet with ice and snow, so they had to lengthen their work more to be able to have a minimum amount of useful wood. Meanwhile, they kept their guard up for any trace of the demon were looking for. They could never know if it was hidden in some dark area. But nothing. Not a miserable clue. It was too strange.

They returned at mid-morning, and everything was exactly as they had left it. Including the attractive demon, who hadn't budged. He kept his back against the rocky wall, wrapped in Tanjirou's haori and his head tilted to the side, asleep. The redhead boy's heart softened. If it hadn't been for the reddish irritation of the skin of the cheeks and nose, would see the blush of tenderness.

"I'm exhausted..." Zenitsu left the branches without care and sat down with a heavy sigh.

"We'll be much better now, you'll see." tried to cheer him up, kneeling down and piling up the wood. He rummaged through the ground for a couple of stones he considered valid and began pounding them on the branches. The noise woke the other young man, making him shake the head in his direction with the lids half open.

After a couple of minutes, a small spark fell, exclaiming the redhead kid. Hit the stones faster, trying to repeat the spark. Didn't notice the moment when the demon had approached and snatched the stones from his frozen hands. With just two hits, Inosuke created embers, and with a couple of blowings, he gave life to a burning flame. He returned the rocks to the slayer with a proud and conceited demeanor, claiming with his emerald eyes he was better than Tanjirou at making bonfires. And he wasn't without reason, a lifetime living alone on a mountain, with nothing but his strength and adaptability, made him extremely skilled with the elements. His ego hadn't changed at all, which made the redhead boy laugh softly.

"I think he has humiliated you, Tanjirou" to do his homework, did trust the demon.

"Yes." the laugh increased in volume. "It's true he's much better than me at this." He paid attention to those sharp pupils. "I would like you to teach me the trick someday." clapped his hands on the other's left chest, who snorted derisively, showing a lopsided smile revealed one of his fangs.

As if marking his territory over Tanjirou, covered himself even more with the clothes that he had lent him, taking possession of it in an adorable way.

"You can keep it as long as you need." so typical of the redhead boy to be this kind, without caring if was the coldest of the three. Although not too much, the fire was turning out very nice.

They rested for a long time, and wished they could stay like this, by the fire, until it was night and the enemy was appeared. Unfortunately, they would have to go out again to find food. If they were lucky, they could come across a thawed pond or stream and fish, or find an animal to hunt. Worse, the one who was better at those things couldn't set foot out, so the remaining two would have to add much more effort in his absence. In the middle of the afternoon they returned with two fish and a hare. It wasn't much, possibly they only had for that moment. But the red swordsman didn't want to leave the demon alone all day, would have felt bad, as if were abandoning him. Other than that he didn't forget Uzui's warning, that something was tormenting of the boar boy's head. And Zenitsu didn't make it easy either, they sucked hunting and fishing, it was terrible

"I'm so sorry, Inosuke... We couldn't get more..." He was deeply sorry, since he was aware that wasn't enough for everyone. Inosuke could feed on animal meat, but it gave him much less energy than demon meat, and it only helped in the short term. Saddened, he put the fish to roast on the fire.

While the fish were cooking, Inosuke had taken the hare and started skinning it. That wasn't something the other two wanted to see, so they avoided looking. Hunting it was not the same as tearing off its skin and leaving it raw. The wild boy realized the discomfort, so he decided to cut the animal into pieces, as if they were pieces that would be sold in any rural butcher shop. That way, it would be more familiar to them.

When the fish was ready, the pieces of the hare followed the same process. They had to shred the fish to divide the same amount among the three. It was insufficient. The redhead kid cursed himself for not having been able to find something else. Once the rest of the meat was done, they were redistributed.

The red swordsman looked at the demon's empty hands. His speed when eating was excessive, it was fortunate that he rarely choked. Tanjirou was aware of what was happening; that food hadn't added any kind of reserve to the body of the wild demon. And if he didn't get it, his energy wouldn't last more than half an hour. He was going to end up weakening from the disastrous harvest they made. Kept looking at his emerald eyes, lost in the flames.

"Inosuke." called at the same time that brushed his arm with a hand, to the aforementioned boy paid attention. "Here, I'm already satisfied." offered him his part almost intact. He didn't mind starving, the demon was more important at that time. Tanjirou wouldn't become weak if didn't eat one day, but the other did have a chance of suffering.

Zenitsu watched silently as the blue-haired boy accepted, awash with contagious happiness. Tanjirou was too nice. He tolerated many things and deprived himself of others. But had never seen him sacrifice as much as with Inosuke. Supposed that was called love... and not the whimsical nonsense he used to look for in every girls. He wondered then... If they managed to give the young wild man back his humanity, would he lose the demonic memories? For the redhead boy it would be devastating if it happened. All the advances he made with the other boy would be lost. It would leave his heart shattered... How would Inosuke have reacted to all this if Tanjirou had declared the same, but without having transformed? Would had they even taken any steps? Would he have rejected to red slayer? It was quite a confusing mess for the blond kid. Really... Who was Tanjirou in love with? The tender and mute demon next to him? Or the violent and loud human that the Upper Second Moon took from them? He didn't want to mistrust his friend, but... It sounded doubtful everywhere. Had a hunch that that relationship was going to go wrong...

At sunset, they repeated the day to try to bring more than just put it to their mouths. And meanwhile, the wild boy waited and waited... Before sunset, both boys returned... empty-handed. The redhead boy's face showed so much disappointment, so much annoyance.

"I'm so sorry… We couldn't bring anything…" clenched his fists and jaw. If something happened to Inosuke that night because he wasn't in full physical power, would never forgive himself. Felt had failed miserably.

Anyway, darkness covered their world in just a few minutes. They had to start the second search, resuming their mission. That new night came aggressive and furious, with an intense wind that chilled every cell in their bodies. They could barely open their eyes. They were brutally beaten by the swift gale that carried small particles of ice. Tanjirou could smell it, it wasn't a created wind, it was natural. But with the misplaced winter season, it had become dangerous. He still didn't perceive the damned guilty demon on that mountain. The blond slayer was also unable to hear anything. Not even the wild demon could perceive vibrations through his sense of touch. Blue lips and fingers, and red faces was the only thing that was happening as time passed. Hours of searching turned into a frozen hell impossible to bear.

"We-we can't... continue like this." The redhead kid stopped the steps in the deep snow. "In this wind it's a suicide." If they ended up finding the enemy, none of them could move well because of their strained muscles.

"I-I want to go my bed..." Zenitsu's tears were solid.

A hoarse cough was heard coming from Inosuke's throat. The cold was beginning to itch in him. His eyes could barely stay open, and her bushy, long lashes had been decorated with tiny specks of frost. At that time he was angry with himself for not wearing more clothing than a simple fur skirt and a underwear. Keeping his skin uncovered used to be an advantage thanks to his developed sense of touch, but in extreme situations it was his downfall.

They had no choice but to return to the cave as fast as they could. The journey became so unbearable, eternal. For a few moments, they thought the demon was going to end up unconscious from the bad combination of extreme cold and lack of food. He covered himself so desperately with the green and black haori it looked like he was going to rip it open from the force with which he was squeezing it. When they arrived, once inside, could see the pleasant change. Without wind and without the extra frozen atmosphere that it carried in its air. The red swordsman didn't want to waste time and tried to quickly fan the burning coals of the previous campfire. There was something he hadn't realized upon arriving at the shelter for being so focused on creating a focus of light and warmth.

"Where's Inosuke?" Zenitsu's question stopped the other's pulse. It caused him to turn around and see with his own red eyes the obvious absence of the demon.

"He was here just now!" was slightly altered. Didn't understand how none had seen him go. He abandoned the coals and got up, straight to leave. "I'm going to look for him."

"Are you crazy?! You will freeze to death out there!"

Tanjirou was about to cross the exit, ignoring the blond boy's warnings, when the figure of the wild kid fell from the top of the entrance, squatting down, carrying something big on the shoulders. He got up and entered, passing the man withe the scar. And couldn't believe it. He had brought a bloody adult deer in a minute! Inosuke dropped the dead animal without care. It seemed that he had bled him out of a spear attack against the jugular. The weapon was stained on its sharp tip. He proved once again that even being limited by the frozen environment he was able overcome in power whoever he wanted.

"Don't get used to me saying it, but right now I love you so much, boar head" Zenitsu was going to cry of the emotion when seeing that she wouldn't go hungry again while was in that mission.

And wasn't the only one. Tanjirou was full of enthusiasm. Although if he had known, he would have tried to stop the demon from doing it. Maybe he was too overprotective... It was the same as with his sister. They were both a thousand times stronger and more powerful, and yet he wanted to be the one to protect them. Perhaps for fear of losing them.

It was an exquisite dinner for the three of them, and being such a large deer, almost everything was left over. The best thing was that thanks to the cold the meat wasn't going to get bad. At last their luck seemed to change. Each one lying next to the fire fell into a comfortable sleep, except for one. Tanjirou was having a little cold. He slept on his side and facing the flames, but he was uncomfortable and trembled slightly. That ended up waking up the feral boy, who was the one wearing the haori that the redhead kid didn't wear. Sticking his emeralds into his target, sat up and crawled into position in front of him, blocking the campfire for a few moments. He lifted the haori in midair and dropped it gently onto the swordsman's body, wrapping him up. He didn't finished. Also ducked under to cover himself and snuggled close to slayer's chest. His pale body would give off extra heat that would keep Tanjirou more comfortable. Immediately, he stopped shaking and his muscles relaxed. Noticing it, Inosuke got attached, touching his forehead to the redhead boy's neck, putting an arm around his side and hugging his hip with the leg.

Little by little, he fell into the imaginary and unpredictable world of dreams. He slept peacefully. So much so that he felt no pain. His eyes suffered again, and he wasn't realizing it thanks to being asleep. That crimson substance escaped from his closed eyelids, dripping down his face and leaving traces darkened as it dried.

The stone floor was stained as his bloody tears ended the journey of his face. He didn't suffer, but his eyes weren't right. And if he were realizing... He wasn't ready to lose his sight yet.


	11. Winter heart

Zenitsu wasn't at all comfortable in that situation, he missed the covered roof of the Estate, the companionship of the girls, the heat of the passage between summer and autumn, the delicious meals... It was a torture what he lived Right now, lying on the wet floor of a filthy cave with the only support of a campfire that had been extinguished an hour ago, and a dead and stinking animal beside him. But he had to be a man and hold on. He was a demon slayer, there was a reason why he was there. Kept his eyes fixed on the rocky ceiling, not paying attention to the dim natural light that illuminated the shelter, without daring to leave his lethargy yet. Turned his head towards the pair of silly lovebirds, closing the eyes before seeing them. Was so envious and sad at the same time... One for the sincere love they had, and another for the obvious uncertainty of what he thought would end up happening with that unbalanced relationship. Could hear Tanjirou's relaxed breathing, still asleep, along with those slightly wild beats. Was he dreaming of Inosuke? His throbbing sounded so melodic and anxious. Leaving aside his friend's obvious sugary presence... there was something bothering him. There was the sound in love with the redhead friend, his personal soundtrack for romance scenarios, and not for that moment, but... what about the demon? Couldn't perceive him. Puzzled, opened his golden eyes and found himself face to face with the obvious absence of the wild boy. The red swordsman was alone under his own bicolor haori, no one was by his side. Sat up, confused, looking with his eyes. The deafness of the empty cave hung only over the two of them. Damn that stupid boar, disappearing again. Without much interest, more covered with a pinch of nervousness, he got up and approached the other boy. It was like having to take care of a unruly child who kept generating problems.

"Tanjirou." He waved the arm with desperate energy. "Tanjirou, wake up."

The redhead kid gave a sleepy groan and shook the covers that covered his red eyes, then slowly opened its. Saw fuzzy blotches, and the largest was yellow. Rubbed all over his face and sparked a bit before opening his dry, sticky mouth.

"What happens?" He smelled a lot of restlessness in the blond boy. He hoped it wasn't silly like some rat had gotten into the cave or something like that.

"Inosuke isn't here." he released immediately to put the hands to her mouth. He had just realized that the dawn had begun. "And it's daytime!"

The other swordsman sat up quickly with an anguished exclamation, looking with his dilated pupils at the slightly luminous entrance to the lair. It was true, the sun's rays were about to hit their world directly.

"My God, Inosuke!" He rose as a soul carried by the devil and leaned out. "Do you know where he went?!

"If I knew, I would have brought him back even if he punch me!" all in order to prevent that fool from turning to dust.

"He couldn't have gone very far..." knows he must be hidden from the sun. Hoped the neurons hadn't been crossed and he could make sure of the danger. If so, he wouldn't have gone too far. Went back in and picked up the clothes that the demon boy once owned. This meant that if he took a little longer he would be trapped under the shade of some tree. "Damnit..."

The moment he out with Zenitsu, a little further, Inosuke appeared, walking leisurely towards the lair. Luckily for him, there were a few minutes left for the sun to go through everything. His presence relieved the other boys, who just waited, much calmer, for him to enter. He had scared them to death. The only logical reason that crossed their minds for Inosuke to come out was because he tried to search again for that demon who was hiding so well from them.

Closer, just on the threshold of the entrance, they could see those parched traces of blood on his cheeks. Paths of a brownish and blackish tone were created from his eyes to get lost in his neck and face. And some scrubs.

"What happened?!" It didn't take long for Tanjirou to run to examine him, looking for wounds without remembering that he could regenerate them. Panic didn't let him think too much about that detail. Halfway there, the demon lost stability and collapsed like a fragile autumn leaf falling from its tree. The redhead boy managed to hold him in his arms before he hit his face on the rough and uneven ground. "Inosuke!" The blond kid approached in a hurry, investigating the situation with a powerful hint of anxiety.

"He has a weak pulse..." Zenitsu didn't know anything about such important care, but could try to explain what his ears heard from the body of the feral demon. "It's as if all his energy and power has exploited... That would collapse anyone." Including demons.

The red swordsman took him in his arms and walked until was next to the firewood. He carefully leaved Inosuke to the ground, without removing the boar head, since it served as a spongy support for his head. Again used the green and black haori as a sheet to cover his pale body.

"Can you light the fire, Zenitsu?" removed any blue strands that might get in the way of his eyes and cheeks.

"Yes." It wasn't a problem for him.

"I'm going for ice. We will melt it so we can clean it." Going to the little pond would be late. Ice was everywhere, liquid water wasn't.

He tore off a couple of frozen stalactites hanging from some branches and was back in a minute. By then, the blond boy was already fanning the fire with slight puffs. He approached and sat between the two young men.

"Can I use your haori?" his was already acting as a blanket, couldn't take it, wet it and then put it on wet. That wouldn't heated the demon.

"Well…" Zenitsu seemed to think about it for a few seconds, but gave in without question. He gave the cloth to Tanjirou, and then wrapped the ice, waiting with his hands on the fire, without touching it, until everything melted and only the garment was soaked with water.

He began to gently rub the dried bloodstains, removing them to leave him with a clean face. Didn't understand how he had come to that state. In case they had come across the demon they were looking for, it was too strange for Inosuke to end up like that. Their enemy was supposed to be low-level and cost little time and effort to defeat. But there they were after two desperate nights, without trace, without clues and with the recently collapsed wild boy. It was so evident that they were approaching a third night... But the feral demon could no longer participate too much in his state. Without his full energy, his power and strength became weak. That was why it was so important for demons, in general, to feed. Their hellish abilities and lives depended on it.

"I don't understand anything... He's supposed to be the strongest now and look at him; He blew up his skills for us and he's disastrous. I vote to return to the Estate, here we are just easy prey for the thing did this to him." Zenitsu wanted more than ever to leave that cursed place. Tanjirou's awkward silence filled every corner of the cave.

"Yes... I guess you're right, Zenitsu. In this situation we have an abysmal disadvantage." agreed to the idea of returning. Similarly, they must have returned within a few hours of leaving, and they had been gone forever. Considering how easy the mission was initially, the Pillars and the rest must have been pulling their hair out of concern. "We will leave as soon as the sun goes down."

They knew how to take advantage of the time training inside the shelter not to lose too much heat until noon arrived. Between each five-minute break, Tanjirou closely supervised the wild boy. He didn't wake up at any time, nor did he move a single inch, but he didn't get worse either. Between the two of them, they took good portions of meat from the venison, which was still in good condition. They considered looking for water, but gave it up. They would hold out until they returned at night despite being very thirsty, and possibly somewhat dehydrated. The redhead kid tried to awaken the demon, to no avail. Wanted to try, he must to eat. Inosuke didn't react in any way, still being subjected to his lethargy. It was the slowest day they had had in a long time, it became distressing and unpleasant. The hours passed at a snail's pace, eating the patience of the young.

As soon as the sun went down, they didn't even bother having dinner before leaving. They wanted so badly to get out of there that they didn't care if halfway there went hungry. The scar swordsman carried the wild boy onto his back, holding him below the thighs and pressing them against his own hips to prevent his deadweight body from falling in any direction. Zenitsu helped the pale arms stay on the redhead's shoulders and further secure the position. The tranquility of the mount and its forest was surreal. Anyone would say that there was never a demonic presence there. However, they remained vigilant. They continued on the way, freezing cold, but not as cold as the night before. They reached that high area, that cliff that could be seen beyond the mount itself. His eyes couldn't believe the views. The green area that didn't belong to the tiny mountain had turned the same deep white. Winter had spread so long in just two days and three nights.

"He was always here... That demon..." Tanjirou couldn't quite put together anything logical in his head. What they were seeing confirmed the presence of the enemy in the area. But how was it possible they never perceived him? Didn't even come across him by accident. It hid more than could be seen with the naked eye. It was something that they had to consult with the Pillars. It wasn't normal.

They arrived as soon as they could at the Butterfly Estate without any mishap. Everything was strange, and therefore, everything must be wrong. But they were so relieved to get out of there, free themselves from the frozen environment and feel a more pleasant, warm air. At this time it was not advisable to disturb anyone, whether they were sleeping or on a mission. They decided to just go in, were exhausted. The extreme weather ended up massacring them more effectively than if they had fought. Zenitsu soon ran, half crying, to his beloved and comfortable room, eager to prostrate himself in bed and tuck himself up to the neck.

Tanjirou, on the other hand, was hesitant about what to do with Inosuke. Could take him to the infirmary room and have Aoi see him first thing. But she also wanted to be watching him too in case something happened in the middle of the night. He didn't trust his unconscious state. After a short while considering it, decided to take him. It didn't matter if there was only one bed. It wasn't out of modesty, had already had much more intimate approaches with him on a single mattress. It was more for space, in case both fit. And if not, he didn't mind sleeping on the floor, even if didn't have a futon there. Entered his room, finishing thinking about it. The first thing did was turn his back to the bed, bend down and slowly release the demon onto it. Once free, he undressed and put on the yukata. As was tied up, watched the young wild man breathe slowly. His legs dangled from the edge, and the rest stayed on the padded object. When finished, took a second yukata, approached him, and cautiously removed the boar head. Glancing at another point, removed the fur skirt and the white underwear that was in charge of helping to hide. Placed a hand behind the paler back and gently raised his body to tuck her arms into the sleeves of the clothing. Subsequently, closed the garment and tied it around his waist to later stretch the bottom and cover his legs correctly. He rose, kneeling, and took him in his arms, placing him straight with respect to the bed and leaving his dark head on the pillow. There seemed to be enough room, so he lay down beside him and covered them both with the blankets.

For a few long minutes, was enthralled, watching those closed eyelids decorated with long, thick, dark lashes. Removed a strand of his bangs with impressive delicacy, as if at any moment any touch could break him like glass. That face, that hairstyle... Except for the reddish marks on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, the rest was from that human boy who used to try so hard to anger him on purpose, but never succeeded. Had so rarely seen that face before him now... Always covered with shame under the intimidating animal mask that made him much more imposing than he really was. And now could enjoy it every day thanks to the change in said empty head. Reveled so much in his rosy skin, his shimmering shoulder length hair, and a gorgeous royal blue at the tips, spread freely on the pillow. It was difficult to realize the feelings, not seeing every expression on his beautiful face was like a thick wall that prevented him from perceiving so many emotions from him... He could never know exactly when he was embarrassed, blushed, sad... All because of that mania of appearing to be the strongest under the mask, someone with hard feelings or a shortage of them.

Sometimes, Inosuke confused him for his mismanagement of attitudes. But after having seen enough of that androgynous face and his grimaces, knew how should begin to interpret it optimally, whether he was hiding or not. Wasn't going to deny it, nor to doubt it; he loved him. Didn't know since when, possibly much further back than might think. It was even possible that before carrying out that mission in the Red Light District. There, his feelings increased when saw him with that clean and elegant appearance, when was a spectator of how he was stabbed in the back, pierced to his chest. At that moment felt himself vanish when Inosuke fell, thinking that they had just killed him suddenly, without giving any time for any reaction. He didn't know how to understand, his heart at that moment broke into pieces and then repaired when saw him alive and resisting. He didn't notice until relatively recently. Felt stupid and distracted for not knowing how to recognize his own emotions regarding the wild boy. Would have liked so much to be able to bring it all forward, to have been able to tell him when he was still human, to have been able to forge a relationship with the crazy and charismatic young slayer. Was late, but wasn't sorry either. The most important thing for Tanjirou was that, even being a demon, he continued to be Inosuke in a different way. And much more than that, was still by his side; alive.

So many memories, so many situations, so many emotions passed through the redhead kid's head. Loved with disguised madness that wild boy who slept at his side. Could no longer resist his pink, parted lips. He kissed him with such consideration, with so much love. If only the other could understand everything that was happening, he thought. Wasn't in a hurry, little by little the demon's mind could open up in intelligence, and return to be exactly as it was before, except for the body and his power. Didn't need anything else. He drew Inosuke to himself after cutting the soft touch and hugged him, unconsciously trying to protect him from the nothing that covered the room.

"I don't know if this is okay... A demon and a human... And two men, besides... But I don't care." whispered against his forehead. "Nothing else care to me." Everything related to his relationship. He didn't remember, nor did he consider, that this was very similar to what had happened in the lives of Kotoha Hashibira and Douma, expelling the condition that the boy didn't devour humans compared to his... stepfather. And that Tanjirou was aware of everything around the young man. Could it be the correct and well-worn version of the blond demon and Kotoha relationship?

At dawn, the redhead kid kept his room in the dark for Inosuke, who hadn't yet woken up. Reported his arrival and sought Aoi to examine the demon. However, she found nothing out of the ordinary except that she needed the proper food. Although, at that time, they could only pull animal meat.

"So that was..." Uzui seemed as puzzled as the two young swordsmen. "I was saying that it wasn't normal for you to be away for three nights. I was beginning to worry." crossed his arms thoughtfully. "But I don't understand. According to the information collected, that demon has been creating winter on that mountain for a month, and now it has expanded. How is it possible that he had no presence, nor did you come across it? Even by chance he should have appeared in front of you, and neither.

"That is we asked ourselves..." Zenitsu whispered.

"There isn't other choice..." sighed the Pillar. "You will return there tonight, but this time I will go with you. I have to see what the hell is going on."

"And what about Inosuke? He will be left alone." Tanjirou couldn't leave him unattended while he was still unconscious. He was afraid of anything.

"Giyuu will stay with him. Or at least, keeping an eye on him."

The redhead boy was able to calm down then, trusting the Water Pillar a lot.

The moon shone again and the stars accompanied with their clinks. They would soon return to montain. The two boys had no hope that anything could change, no matter if Uzui was going or not. They awaited his arrival at the gates of the estate.

Meanwhile, from a tree near the window, Giyuu kept his eyes on the interior, distinguishing between the darkness the figure covered under Tanjirou's sheets. He didn't like having to babysit, but could handle it if the situation continued calm. The sooner he thought about it, the sooner he was disappointed. Saw movement. Sharpened his gaze, reaching to perceive how the boy sat on the edge of the bed. Thanks to the whitish beams of the satellite, could notice those red paths on his illuminated face. Frowned. It was blood, and it seemed to come out of his narrowed green eyes. Something was wrong with him, apart from expelling that vital liquid, they didn't shine. Was he a sleepwalker? It seemed to be a possible answer, as watched him get up and walk without looking at anything. Hiding in the green foliage of the tree, the demon was heading to the window. It was opened, and in the middle of the yukata and with nothing else, he jumped to the ground and began to walk a path that was unknown to Giyuu. Envisioned the other two boys from afar, still waiting for Uzui to attempt the mission once again. He wasn't going to stray, or call them. He would carry out his task alone.

He followed him into the forest, stealthily crossing each part, without making noise between the leaves, nor when stepping on the high branches. Continued at the same slow pace that the wild kid marked. After a long time, ironically relaxing for El Pillar, the snow began to become visible. They were entering the mountain. Could guess that the boy's subconscious was screaming for food and looking for that demon to finish him off. The same goal that the other three had set. He was curious to know who would be the first to find and defeat him.

Desperately slow, Giyuu was starting to get slightly impatient. It must have been too quiet a situation for the Water Pillar to feel that way. Swore that by now, the two boys and Uzui would have had time to enter the other side and go around the mountain a thousand times. Was distracted by the stupid image of them for a second and lost sight of the demon. Opened his blue eyes wide, how had given him time to disappear, with how slowly he was going? The wild boy was somehow slipping away from them all. What the hell was going on with that boar child, who disappeared before the eyes of almost everyone? Or they hadn't become accustomed to the silence of him, because since always, Inosuke had the ability to sneak away, only that his noisy attitude gave him away. Looking with his eyes, hit the small group squarely. They also noticed, but weren't happy to see him. Rather, they were confused. Once close, Uzui spoke.

"What are you doing here?"

"I follow the boar boy." Direct and calm.

"What?" The taller Hashira raised one of his clear, discreet eyebrows. "You were supposed to be watching him. I thought it would take a couple of days to wake up."

"Yes, he will be slow to do so." So expressionless and with so few explanations that the younger ones couldn't quite understand.

"Are you kidding me, Giyuu? Why did you let him out when he woke up?"

"He isn't awake. He's sleepwalking."

"Even worse!" Uzui pressed the bridge of his own nose.

"We have to look for him, he can't go around being a sleepwalker." Tanjirou's relaxed but serious voice rose above the others.

"The boy isn't mistaken. YOUR mistake needs to be fixed. Because you lost him right?" had caught him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so disinterested in the demon's possible location. There was no answer, Giyuu seemed not to cause any kind of emotion. "I thought..." put the hand to his own forehead, and without a word, led a new search.

Luckily, they had taken it upon themselves to bundle up well knowing the storm was there, except for the Water Pillar, didn't even know where he was going. It disguised well, but it had senses. That cold bothered him a lot. Suddenly the other Hashira stopped short and put the finger to his own lips, indicating silence. He bent down and was imitated.

"Right there... He's not our boy, but look..." A figure, somewhat complicated to see by the bushes and trunks, stood on the edge of the cliff that the younger ones already knew. He was the culprit of the winter, was distributing icy fogs with his hands over the whole place, spreading his territory more and more. "We've found the damn problem." At all times he used whispers so as not to be heard by the enemy. They had to kill the creature, their work was killing all the fauna and flora of the place. He could cause a serious imbalance. "When I launched on him, he will may defend himself. Be prepared for a second ambush and cut off his head unexpectedly." put his hand on the hilt of his swords and approached very slowly. Enough to catch up with a quick attack. He launched himself, fast, to cut diagonally. Didn't go to the neck because knew he was going to be blocked.

In a way, he was wrong. He wasn't blocked, but dodged. That took him by surprise. Was he really a low-class demon? That reaction rate didn't usually occur in them. He didn't worry too much, the short plan could go on. As he thought, from three different parts, the Water Pillar and the two young men pointed their blades at the neck. Darkness wasn't a problem in spotting his jugular area. Surprisingly, the demon seemed to disappear and appear further back, one knee kneeling, his back to them.

"How did he...?!" Zenitsu wasn't out of amazement. "He was supposed to be weak! Tanjirou!" complained to his friend out of sheer habit.

"I don't know." The redhead boy tried to take advantage, but barely took a step when he smelled the cold air.

The enemy rose slowly, head down, exposed to the moon. His blond hair on the top, so light it looked white, fell in front, making it impossible for them to see more. But what most caught the attention of the red swordsman was that... yukata. He turned around so slowly that their hearts were going to jump with impatience.

Silence, anguish, confusion.

"Do you like how I have improved my new mountain?" That voice so recognizable, with a tone never used, one that simulated a soft breeze, without the need to rip or pretend roughness. The boy with the scar dropped the bucket of frozen water on top, metaphorically.

Was him. It was always him. The black of his hair had ceased to exist at the time to stay that pale blond, while those familiar king-blue tips were still intact. The dried blood from her eyes and cheeks... His right iris without that emerald green, turned into a ring of beautiful rainbow colors. In its center, one of the two kanji of the cursed number. While his left eye was still as green and sharp as usual.

"Inosuke..." Tanjirou named him in a stifled sigh of disbelief and pressure. That grimace as beautiful and smiling as it was terrifying was being etched into fire. The whitest expression of the hypocrisy of that demon of the fans and ice. Powers and newly activated consequences of Douma's purest blood from within.

Who was taking control of who? Or was it a simple adaptation of his body by using those icy powers that his stepfather granted him? Whatever it was, little by little, his demonic blood was eating away at his remaining human blood.

"All this I did alone. For so long... Am I not the best, Tanjirou? Am I not great? I'm the king of this mountain too."


	12. All for you

He couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. His heart was shrinking, beating with difficulty, drowned in a rib cage that tightened more and more. The mission was clear; exterminate the demon from the mount. But he didn't want to. No one present would properly comply with that. It was unheard of. Inosuke's words kept repeating themselves through his head with red strands. The demon was able to speak so fluently and with such an... atypical tone to him. And that smiling expression that gave such a bad feeling, despite being the most beautiful had ever seen. And the most shocking; called him by correct name. Tanjirou couldn't understand. Why did he act falsely in front of him and Zenitsu? Why did he trick them into believing that he was searching with them for the supposed demon of the place? Why did he help them search, when he was the target? What did he want doing with all that?

"Inosuke..." repeated his beautiful name. Loved to pronounce it, but had to put feelings aside. "Why?... Why have you done all this?" another thing he thought; He had also tricked him into believing that he couldn't speak, that his mind wasn't complete.

The icy breeze gently moved each platinum blond and king blue strand in a makeshift dance, lengthening a silence that seemed unnecessary.

"Because it's sad to see how everything dies slowly." he was referring to the plants, to that green landscape that he was so passionate about seeing. "So, I anticipated his death in a quick and great way. Have you seen how beautiful it is?" he was very proud.

"This boy is already on the verge of losing his sanity..." Giyuu whispered, although could be heard by his comrades. It caused a painful prick to Tanjirou's chest. "If he takes the number completely..." was silent, undecided and not really knowing what could happen.

"What happens? You don't like?" armed with impatience, the demon raised his voice to one they could know better. The annoyance.

"No! I say... Yes! I mean..." the redhead kid had made himslef a mess in a second when noticing the change in the mind of the wild boy. "Yes, it's beautiful... It's a wonderful landscape, Inosuke..." He smiled calmly, being completely honest, but careful. That raised the opponent's ego more and dissipated his tiny anger a little, could smell it. "But it's too soon yet, the animals will be confused and their lives will be suddenly altered." animals that hadn't started to hibernate or travel would be very lost and disoriented. He watched intently the multicolored reflection of the moon in that rainbow eye, remembering Douma with suppressed rage.

"Well, collateral damage. It isn't a big thing." he lost his love for animals...

¿Collateral damage? No one really understood how Inosuke was currently able to use words that he would never have understood so easily. He didn't even have a formal or extensive vocabulary. And there they found him, speaking as if he were a person who received a basic education. That was definitely not him. It was that option or to think that his mind had taken a huge leap thanks to the advance of demonic blood. They hoped it would be the second. The first would mean that, somehow, it was Douma who possessed that young body and that could be a catastrophe.

"If you were aware at all times, why did you act like you didn't?" Uzui was slightly angry and surprised. He watched strangely as the demon frowned.

"I don't know what you are talking about." That voice from beyond the grave answered with an intense and disproportionate hatred which displeased the rest.

The Pillar didn't insist, with that answer he had enough to later join the dots. At the moment, he didn't get it right, but thinking and processing with the help of the other Hashira would be very easy to make sense of.

"So, you like it?" he repeated again, back to Tanjirou. Zenitsu imagined why, and in a way, it caused him a bit of tenderness. Just a little. The two adults didn't give it importance, they saw it as normal, without giving it any kind of definition. Although it sounded like he wanted to impress the red slayer with a huge bright, white and cold present. The excuse of doing it for the supposed suffering of the plants made water everywhere.

-Yes, I like it. But I would like more if the next time you combine it with the correct weather season." He hoped Inosuke wouldn't get pissed off for the advice...

"Of course, I'll show you that it can be just as great even on the same season! Or even more!"

And there he was, that presumptuous and competitive young boy, claiming the fantastic of his works, whatever they were. He was Inosuke Hashibira. A little out of his mind, more than usual, but he was. The situation for them had become much more comfortable and easier to cope with. They did not even have to come up with a solution, the scar swordsman himself had already managed with little dialogue that the demon accept with satisfaction not to repeat it again outside its natural climate.

"Well, settled the matter. Do you think if we return?" Uzui, as the current leader of the group, kept his swords, being imitated. He went to the wild boy and reached out to take him closely with them, in case he got lost again. But he couldn't.

Halfway to touch him, the demon scratched Uzui's back in a warning sign, with a dark look, charged with a deep dislike. Without any of them expecting it, he began to brutally attack the extravagant Pillar, making huge and sharp ice cones grow under his feet, trying to impale him. The exits of the large pieces lifted the snow and created a cloud that made it difficult to see clearly. Luckily, the man was able to get around this effortlessly until the attack stopped and the snow cleared, leaving Inosuke in a threatening position, both defensive and offensive.

"Inosuke! What are you doing?!" Tanjirou yelled, so confused and scared by what he had just witnessed. That power was Douma's. Exactly the same. Ice and snow.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Blinded by the rage of the moment, he created a thick needle that stuck in the blink of an eye on the redhead kid's shoulder, knocking him back with the speed at which it was directed. He wasn't even close compared to what he tried with Uzui. It had been such a small and harmless attack that it was too obvious that Inosuke didn't...

"Are you crazy?! He was treating you nice!" Zenitsu yelled at him out of pure instinct, the more he felt that heterochromatic look on his bones, he trembled and shrank back on himself. But he wasn't attacked.

"Listen, kid." Giyuu began to speak, glancing at an impacted Tanjirou who touched his shoulder and took out the big needle. "I don't know what you have against Tengen, but that was out of place." hoped he could continue without drawing his sword, it wouldn't be good to fight in that situation.

"Out of place?! He attacked me at first! And I don't do it with you because you only followed his fucking orders!" He even glared at the red swordsman for it, for participating in the surprise attack. And this one only managed to mentally apologize and be ashamed.

His intense anger was making sense now. He had felt very threatened by Uzui, who was the first to try to harm him, and the one who led the ambush. He didn't take into account that it was a mistake, although it was somewhat late, because the anger had been born from him. His small explanation made the redhead boy, after recovering from his two seconds of guilt, see him with such understanding, unable to bother with him. Knew Inosuke, and if they had been through the same situation as a human, the same would have happened replacing the ice with kicks and punches.

"Oh, come on... I didn't know it was you, boy. I don't-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THOUGHT!" He didn't want to fall for a trick as low as that of excuse, or he thought it was. Fired the same type of needles he previously directed at Tanjirou, but deadly large, to the Pillar.

The Hashira had to jump from one side to the other to avoid them all. As he did so, Inosuke fell on him with his fist forward. Giyuu intervened in such a swift manner that he was barely seen moving. He had to hit him with the sword handle to get him as far away as possible. And succeeded, the demon dragged his feet nailed to the snow as his body skidded back. The movement to repel him had been too strong. The skating didn't stop even when it reached the edge of the cliff. When he didn't feel any support for his entire feet, only having his toes on solid ground, his grimace opened in surprise and panic. The situation seemed to unfold in slow motion, falling backward into an impending void.

A strong hand managed to grab onto his arm and pull him in a way that could have perfectly dislocated his shoulder. Although dislocations were not a problem for the wild boy. It slammed into the red swordsman's warm chest, causing a fall. Once lying in the snow, Tanjirou got up and stood up, worried and upset by everything.

"You can't attack him like that, Uzui-san doesn't lie to you! He reall-!"

"SILENCE!" He got up and a new furious movement began to create a gale on their heads. An aggressive wind that faded halfway through just as Inosuke choked on a complaint that sounded like slimy throat. He coughed a considerable amount of blood once as he brought his hand to his yukata-covered chest. The veins on his body were stained purple and formed a visible net of threads on his pale skin.

As expected, his two comrades were the first to help him. A help that he wasn' able to refuse. Not because he wanted it, but because he didn't have enough energy to move or complain out loud. Tanjirou held him by the shoulders, being able to see everything new in his appearance in the foreground. But he didn't have time to admire it carefully, had to be focused.

"Stop forcing yourself, please!" The only thing he was sure of was that Inosuke was putting his body under too much pressure.

"Are you kidding me?" His downcast and sarcastic smile crossed his wrinkled and bloody face, unconsciously holding onto the redhead kid's forearms and slightly shrunken. "This is not... nothing, even..." He put a hand to his mouth, pressing to prevent anything else from coming out of it. It didn't help. From between his fingers, the blood shot out anyway.

"Stop the nonsense, boy." Uzui ended up losing patience. Withdrew the kids and charged the demon without it being able to do anything but look at him with anger. Almost immediately after picking him up, the wild man lost all consciousness and fell asleep.

None knew, but that ritual of crying blood, regaining their own intelligence, using their power, and then fell faint for abusing it occurred more times than could count on his fingers. The mountain hadn't been introduced to such an intense winter by magic. They stood for a few moments observing from the top of the cliff the huge territory that had been covered with snow. This was a work with a dangerous effort behind it. And Zenitsu knew that better than anyone, because when the last attack of the feral demon was cut off he heard his strength explode and collapse again. Just same when as he returned to the cave two nights ago.

"We'll take care of this place later..." The highest pillar wasn't worried about the change of weather. What was worrying everyone about the situation was the presence of a demon, nothing more. And apparently the culprit was their demon. Or at least one of the two they had.

They returned by the same paths, going down the mountain and crossing the forest, entering the green and warmer zone. It had nothing to do with it, it was a coincidence, but halfway through Inosuke's base hair was dyed black again. They figured it could be because he stopped using that power that wasn't really his.

As much as possible, everything was more or less controlled.

The four waited rather uneasily the next morning. They hoped Inosuke wouldn't continue to be pissed off or they were going to have serious problems with the rest of Pillars if another confrontation ensued. They kept Nezuko busy with the girls in another area of the estate, just in case. They trusted her calm, but not the other demon's.

He had been put back into the infirmary room, patiently waiting for Aoi to appear when he had a time in his schedule. Uzui remained seated in a chair near the occupied bed and Giyuu a little further away, leaning against the wall. Meanwhile, the youngest were sitting directly on the same mattress where the wild boy lay. He had been unconscious for a good handful of hours, and when another one was added, more nerves flew in the air.

They noticed a slight movement, alerting themselves and paying attention to anything that could happen. Inosuke shook his head to the side, trembled his brow. Very slowly, opened his eyes with numerous blinks, placing his blurred vision towards the ceiling. At the edges of his field of vision he could see four human-like spots. Two green emeralds loomed more and more visible, unknowingly lowering the tension that cut the atmosphere.

"Inosuke, how are you feeling?" Tanjirou put his hand on the palest one, without being rejected. Watched as those intense irises pierced him with full attention, waiting patiently for a response.

"Is it my imagination or is he a little disorientated?" Zenitsu commented.

"It's normal after exploding." Giyuu was another who also realized that the demon's powers were not being very well controlled. "But in a short time he will bother us again..." whispered that, although he was right in a certain part of his words.

The elongated and sharp pupils passed from one to other, scanning the environment without haste. He paid attention to the flamboyant Pillar for some reason. He didn't seem angry or upset. Rather, interested.

"I think he caught me." laughed softly. And it was that, the man, had brought a piece of the best meat that he had been able to obtain from the kitchen of the farm, inside a basket. It wasn't a gift, it was out of necessity. Inosuke hadn't eaten properly for too long, only on animal meat he found from his poor prey. That breakfast was a thousand times better, he was sure. "I'll give it to you on one condition." silence. "Tell why you hid that you could speak, and why you acted as if you didn't know anything about you." and again, silence. This time, accompanied by a curious, slightly confused grimace. "Come on, you can't fool us anymore, we know you think perfectly." and nothing, without words, without answers.

"I don't think he's faking..." Tanjirou commented, removing a strand of his bangs that was close to entering his green left eye. Was he who became him visual target. Replied with a sweet smile that, for some reason, made the demon cry. Without being noisy, he didn't even change his face with curiosity, it was just tears that just spilled. Tanjirou understood that. I was suffering. "He doesn't understand anything we are saying... And deep down he knows it, and it hurts him a lot..." He felt so much pain, so much regret seeing the person who loved to go through such terrible moments.

"I think the same, I can only hear a lot of knots in his head." said the blond kid, crossing his arms with a wrinkled face. "I bet whatever it's that he doesn't remember anything at all."

Uzui sighed. In such a case, couldn't blackmail him. He took out the saucer and put it on his own lap. If gave it to him, he might accidentally throw it away. Nor was going to allow him to take the silverware, lest they slip away and gouge out someone's eye. He waited for Inosuke to sit up a bit. The redhead boy helped him when saw that when he supported his arms they trembled. Put an extra pillow behind his back and put behind his ears all the hair that could bother him. The demon kept looking at the young man with the scar, leaving Uzui ignored with the punctured piece of meat inadvertently. Until the man caught his attention and brought the cutlery to the demon's lips. Hoped he would eat, if he refused it would mean something very wrong.

Luckily, it didn't. Inosuke opened his mouth slightly, closing his eyes, revealing those fangs, and the Pillar took the opportunity to introduce the piece. Tanjirou had the round pupils nailed to the scene. What did he feel...? That little annoyance... Was it jealousy?

"Can l...?" He was unable to fully control them, causing Uzui to stop the task and look at him for a few seconds.

Desperate seconds for the wild boy, who wanted the next bite. Impatient, he growled and leaned down. Put his hands on Pillar's thighs, getting closer, and caught with the lips the punctured piece and part of the fork. That left the man a bit blocked, and Tanjirou fuming with a tight, sneaky smile. Zenitsu could swear had heard the screech of a boiling kettle come from the redhead boy.

"Of course, but come. I'm trapped right now. " the demon kept him from getting up to deliver the plate to the young man. In the blink of an eye, the saucer disappeared from his hands, taking possession of the red swordsman. The blond kid was enjoying all this, he wanted to see more, but wasn't so bad as to provoke the situation. The adult wasn't the only one to be surprised by the speed with which Tanjirou had removed him the food. The other boy stared into his dark eyes with the same expression, as if asking with his emeralds where the hell was his damn food. Uzui raised his hands to express innocence when he felt how those green irises pierced his soul. "I haven't done anything, I swear."

Contrary to how it had been a few hours ago, the current situation was relaxed, and even pleasant. Giyuu was the one who most enjoyed the tranquility that reigned in the room, despite being five people. They left when Aoi arrived in the room to re-examine the demon's eyes at their request. But she still didn't see anything out of the ordinary, so the reason they had left was to think that they were bleeding from the sudden pressure his head could suffer at night. Tanjirou also wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to see his sister, so he left him with Zenitsu. Surprisingly for the blond boy, Inosuke didn't cross the line with him. The most he did was try to scare him with some strange movement or look on purpose, but had ended up getting used to it and trusting that he wasn't as dangerous as had been thinking for so long. He had begun to amuse himself with that harmless bullying game by realizing that there was no greater intention. In one of the visually violent confrontations, Zenitsu tightened his brow so much that began to have an expression similar to the ones he wore when became desperate. Such grimaces had always amused the wild kid. And this wasn't going to be the exception. Little by little, a closed smile formed, which evolved into a wider open one. And without anyone or anything warning the blond man, the demon began to laugh in a melodious way that compensated for the thickness of his voice. Zenitsu lost his expressions, stunned by the act he witnessed. Had never heard him like this, much less get to see what his face was like when he did. Always with that terrible mask, avoiding showing the beauty of their grimaces for precisely that reason; for being beautiful and considering that they made him look weak.

The blonde boy didn't usually like the combination of his face with his biological sex, but it was impossible to lie about it, and could see it in the Red Light District when they got dressed. He didn't even need makeup or a different hairstyle. Uzui, at first, destroyed his appearance by adding so much color in such an irresponsible way, not to mention how disheveled his pigtails were. The women in the brothel Inosuke stayed in had done no more effort than clean and remove the rubber bands from his hair. They just put a warm red color on his lips, nothing more. A young man with such characteristics was surreal. Where the hell had that aggressive boy come from? He didn't realize that the laughter had ceased and that Tanjirou had entered and reached his side, staring in confusion at the powerful blush that covered the blond kid's entire face.

"Zenitsu, are you okay?" he worried a little. The other could have got a fever from the recent cold.

"Ah?" snapped out of his reverie and shook the head, a little terrified at what he had begun to think. "Yes, yes! Nice!" really wanted to hit the head against the wall.

Once the darkness closed in, Zenitsu and Tanjirou went to accompany Nezuko to leave now that the other demon could rise. The blond boy was very tired, so chose to go to his room. The redhead kid decided to stay awake a little longer. When he returned to the room, it was empty. Put his hand to his own forehead and sighed heavily. Not again... He started looking for Inosuke in every corner of the estate house. Later, went to the gardens... And nothing. He only had to look at on the roof. He was lucky that he had never left the estate again. He saw the demon sitting, watching the horizon under the clear, blackish sky. Went up and walked over to sit next to him. After a few seconds reveling in his appearance, turned the reddish gaze to the same objective that the other had. From there you could see the top of the snowy mountain shine under the reflection of the moonlight.

"It's a very beautiful landscape. Thank you." He still didn't appreciate the effort and intention. Knew he had done it with good thoughts, seeking to make the redhead feel good with a gift. He received the attention of those brilliant emeralds accompanied by a slight smile. Was also aware that he had no idea what he was saying. "I wish you could understand me..." emitted a somewhat heavy sigh, but he made up for it by bringing the back of his neck and sealing his lips in a soft and considerate kiss that expelled a great deal of affection. And of course, the demon reciprocated, as he always did. The opposite hand kept him closer by pushing him from the small of his back. When the passion began to take effect, Inosuke snapped the contact off with a groan and ducked his head. It looked like he was going to start crying, but not in silence, but in a loud and distressing way. His sudden reaction alerted the swordsman, who took him by the shoulders and straightened him up a bit. "You feel bad? What happens?" It wasn't until saw his eyes tightly closed and spilling blood that understood the matter. And sadly, there was nothing he could do for him but be there. Hugged him tightly, hiding the foreign face in his own chest without caring if it stained him, almost as if were trying to merge with him. His expression furrowed in despair made the lips and red eyebrows tremble. "It's going to be over, it will be over soon. Hold on..." could only support him with his presence and words of encouragement, enduring hearing that erratic, rapid breathing, and those screams of pain that were drowning in the fabrics of the yukata.

From one moment to the next, his pale body gave way completely to gravity and the screeching and poorly made movement of his lungs stopped. In the silence, Tanjirou held his head, putting a hand on one of his stained cheeks. The other was in charge of keeping the body sitting, surrounding his torso without taking it off. Could breathe his relaxed breath and watch the closed eyelids quiver. Witnessed with patience and more calm as he gradually opened them, but he was slightly disgusted to see that right iris full of colors and possessing the second kanji of the Twelve Moons. Both heterochromatic eyes locked on the reddish ones, silently. The redhead boy tenderly stroked the cheek he had already touched before. Smiled sweetly and slowly approached again to those lips that made him lose the sanity.

"RAAAAAAAAAHH!" Inosuke's terrifying scream stopped Tanjirou's heart, and his fist stopped the approach to send him flying to the other end of the roof. The swordsman with the scar didn't come to his senses until sat down and saw how far he was from the other, apart from feeling a scorching heat in the jaw. In the blink of an eye, the demon came upon him, and taking him by the yukata's neck, he began to shake and hit him against the roof. But before that, the other young man could see the intense blush colors the wild boy had on his annoyed and embarrassed face. And he could feel it, he felt an unbearable heat that made no sense to him. "What the hell were you trying to do, stupid Gonpachiro?! Were you planning to bite my face?! You want fight, hah?!"

The one with blue tips didn't have the word "kiss" registered in his functional brain, and neither did its meaning. Much less the act itself. He took it as an attack. In the wild, an individual's open mouth approaching another's was an obvious threat.

"No! Sorry, sorry! I wasn't gonna bite you!" He tried to speak as could while being shaken violently.

"Then what, you idiot?! I wasn't born yesterday!"

"I was wrong, I was just wrong! Sorry!" was starting to get dizzy with so much movement. In his spiral world could hear Inosuke click his tongue and stop trying to attack him, withdrawing from him and sitting next to him. Tanjirou stood up with difficulty due to the strange movements his surroundings gave. "Ugh..."

"You deserve it." he sentenced. "Above that I bother to make a beautiful landscape for you and you thank me for it like this, Kamaboko." He was upset, with a hint of embarrassment. Didn't know why he felt the latter, if the gifts were nothing to write home about. Had to keep all the members of the herd happy, or else they would work poorly. That was his overwhelming logic for not admitting anything.

"Ah... Speaking of which..." The dizziness subsided and could see him more easily. "Can I ask you a question, Inosuke?"

The unexpectedly serious tone surprised the demon, who changed his expression to one of mild surprise and curiosity, lightly raising his thin eyebrows.

"What?" was eager to know.

The redhead boy was aware now the wild kid remembered perfectly all his nights of work in the bush, but...

"Do you remember anything besides preparing that surprise for me?" pointed without looking at the direction where the snowy landscape was. He figured it might take him a couple of seconds to reply. But no, there were many more. Too much for your taste. Could already imagine the answer, and he was prepared to feel his heart crack.

"No."

As expected...

"Nothing at all?"

"I have said no! How many times do you want me to repeat it?!" was suddenly angry again, though it seemed for a reason he was hiding. Waited a bit to dare to continue before the other young man's silence, avoiding his reddish gaze. "I remember that bastard turning me into this shit. And then... nothing more so far." He clenched the teeth, still not consciously getting used to the length and size of his fangs. Bothered him. "I have no idea if I did something wrong or what." took the courage to rest his bright eyes on others. "Did I eat someone?"

"No, Inosuke. So don't worry, you haven't killed anyone. It seems your demon part doesn't like humans for food. That is quite strange, but very good." smiled in such a way it caused a growing calm in the wild boy. Wanted to skip the parts where he almost killed out of anger, and where he wanted to devour Nezuko.

"Oh, nice..."

There was something else, something that was deeply haunting his existence.

"I can't lie to you. You didn't end anyone's life, but... you were about to more than once. Your anger is much more difficult to control when you are... in that state of incomprehension. You become like Nezuko, you understand almost nothing and cannot speak."

"Am I turne an idiot?!" It was what struck him most about the explanation, or at least what he wanted to make it seem.

"Hey, my sister isn't an idiot!" indirectly, he had insulted her. The demon pouted the lips, raising the eyes to sky. Another silence formed between them. The scene became uncomfortable at times. "Inosuke, you... Have you seen how you look?"

"No, but I'm sure I look scary." gave a laugh that was a little bitter but also proud, since sowing fear was something that made his look strong and respectable, or at least, that was his logic.

"Come with me." The redhead kid got up and came down from the roof, waiting for the other young man to follow suit. Started to head towards a garden pond when it jumped, paying attention to him. The bright moon and its lights were more than enough, that night shone excessively. He leaned out into the water, perfectly clear. "Take advantage now you have control over yourself." smiled.

Inosuke didn't know if should look. What if what he was going to see was unpleasant? Couldn't live with it. Already had problems with his face for not combining with his body, he didN't imagine how he would react if something had worsened in him. Arming himself, he leaned forward to see himself. Watched his reflection in silence, beginning to rub the areas of his cheeks and nose where he had those reddish marks. Touched the pointy bones on his shoulders he hadn't realized before. Untied himself the yukata and slid it slowly until it was at the waist, as if was afraid to continue seeing himself. That particular act caused a chill in Tanjirou, but he tried to hide his slight tremor. More symbols were inspected on the pecs and left biceps. And more of those horns, smaller, on the elbows that he had to lift. He knelt down to get a better look at his face. It was bloody and he didn't know why, but didn't care about that now. Opened the mouth and was surprised by the brutal size of his fangs. Of all the demons he had seen, he had the sharpest and longest. Like a real beast. There was something that pulled him out of his place, and it was his right eye. It was not his. He remembered those colors well and the kanji, that although couldn't read it, could remember how it was visually. Clenched his jaw, withholding a million insults and curses.

"Everything was fine until I've seen this... It disgusts me..." growled. As the cables were very crossed, he was able to remove the eye himself.

"I can imagine... But the rest don't seem to displease you." bent down beside him and put the hand on his back. "I love it." said it without any kind of second intention, sincere and considerate.

"Of course you love it, I'm great. Great things always be loved." There he went again with his innocent ego...

"It's true." gave a soft laugh that made the other feel ashamed for some unknown reason. So much so that he turned his green gaze back to the water. "But you don't always have it like that, only at times like this." could smell a little uneasiness. It seemed that the wild boy hadn't yet discarded the guilt that was eating him up inside having learned that it was potentially dangerous for his close ones.

Tanjirou kept watching every opposite gesture. Was a front row spectator watching the other young man shake his brow. Was sucking so much anguish... And even so, he was holding it all, without saying anything, without letting him know by his own mouth that he was wrong. "Inosuke..." His tone was more than enough to show all the support and confidentiality it gave her. Saw the boy's throat move as he swallowed hard. "Don't massacre yourself with that, I already told you that they're all fine with you. You know you can trust me..."

"Not in me." That unexpected response took him by surprise, and offended him in a certain way. He blinked several times, incredulous, waiting for an explanation. "You do, but you shouldn't. No longer." rammed his multi-colored orbs into the reddish ones, transmitting pain. "You surely think the longer I am able to stay conscious like now, the better. And it's not true. The more aware I am, the more difficult it's for me to stay in control. No matter how well I look, I am becoming a damn monster!" pounded the edge of the pond furiously, knocking some of the stones loose so that they ended up sinking in the water, breaking their smooth and crystalline surface. "I don't have a single second of peace in my head! The more time passes, the more my brain fills up with Muzan's disgusting memory and destroys mine! I'm gonna to end up forgetting all my human memory! His voice doesn't stop sounding like a fucking parrot every time I can think! And then there is the other jerk who converted me and they mix his voices at the same time! Right now while I'm talking to you, they say things I don't understand! They drill my head until I'm unconscious again! And when I return everything repeats itself louder and louder! I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!"

Tanjirou gasped, clinging as best he could to the grass as a terrible tremor shook the entire territory of the Butterfly estate. The ground of the gardens was broken into numerous pieces that jumped through the air when huge and sharp icy towers were born from it. The whole earth shook under the explosion and a gale of aggressive wind, of anguish and suffering.

Both emotions; the final ingredients to complete the transition to hell.


	13. For the whole eternity

It had turned into immense chaos. The lack of control had completely engulfed the territory of the Butterfly Estate as well as Inosuke's own mind, who screamed with rage, despair that burned every cell in his body. He clutched the head tight, digging her nails into his skin and making himself bleed. If Zenitsu had been there, he could have sworn to hear how the demon's clawing pressure noisily cracked his skull. "Stop" was the only word that could come out of his mouth, using the full capacity of his vocal chords would be ruined if he continued. Squirmed on his feet under the powerful impact of Tanjirou, whose brain had been stuck for a few seconds. He had never seen the wild boy suffer in this way, felt himself was dying right there. But he couldn't do nothing, even if all could do was in vain. Would make something work by force, so was the redhead kid. If there were no solutions, he would force without stopping until got what he wanted. It didn't matter if they were useless or stupid, would take care of abusing them until they stuck in anyone's mind and finish everything.

One of the sharp towers tore at the skin on his leg as it grew beside him with breakneck speed. Complained a little about the pain, but it was superficial. The place was turning into a forest of giant icy needles. Had to calm him down anyway. He dodged as ran all the huge stakes mercilessly out of the ground, moving mostly zig zag to dodge more skillfully. He had to get to the demon, although he didn't know what would do from there.

"Inosuke, listen to me!" shouted a vague attempt that the other boy might be able to divert his attention, at least. Nothing happened. The muffled sound of the ground breaking and trembling was too loud, much louder than his voice. He exclaimed when another of the sharp figures grew under his feet. Was lucky enough to be able to jump forward to avoid it, falling flat on his face. He didn't stop, even so, got up again without hesitation and kept going. Reached out, had Inosuke so close, about to touch him. Another giant stake was born between the two, causing Tanjirou to collide and lose his balance backwards. Without giving up, he circled it. And finally, wrapped his arms around the demon, keeping his red head between the opposite cheek and that horn of the shoulder. "Listen to me!" screamed again despite being next to his ear. The feral kid's voice dropped in volume, but he did not stop at his loop of pleading made up of just that word; Stop. The redhead man straightened the head and looked him in the eyes with determination, encouraging rudeness. Crying. He was crying infinite oceans, worse than Zenitsu's own. Tanjirou took his face, pressing on his soaked cheeks to force him to see him. "Look at me and listen to me! You're stronger than this! It's just their voices in your head! They aren't here, there's no what you hear! NOTHING THEY SAY IS REAL!"

But it doesn't work. He was a prisoner of those two tones of voice that so strongly encouraged him, insistent, to lose his humanity to fulfill his desire for life; be the best and the strongest. He was just an innocent child. He didn't know the seriousness of many things, didn't know what sins were. And he, thinking it was normal, completely succumbed to pride. For that reason he couldn't win, was tied by the neck to his own pride, from which, at the same time, the voices of the two demons were pulling on the rope. Hanged himself for his own vanity and couldn't let go. That was what happened in his mind every time became conscious. More and more jerks, more pressure on his throat.

"Oh my God! What's happening here?!" Zenitsu yelled from beyond, near the entrance of the house and impossible to see through the forest of ice pillars that had formed. He listened Inosuke, it wasn't difficult to do it. Heard him as if it were painfully dying. From the first moment everything shook, the people in the house evacuated to flee the disaster. As the red swordsman focused on the demon, the blond boy searched for them through the demon's voice.

"PLEASE CALM DOWN! DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!" Tanjirou, unable to help it, also began to shed tears.

"NO, NO, NO, NO! I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT!" He wasn't addressing the redhead kid, it wasn't with him he spoke. And Tanjirou knew it. He was going crazy. Was falling in before the demonic nature. Sank down.

"Tanjirou!" Zenitsu arrived at the right place and panicked at seeing them both like this. Torn to pieces for different reasons. "What happen?!" watched with the heart in the fist as the other boy turned his head in his direction, that face red, wet and that brow furrowed.

"He has the influence of Muzan and Douma on his head! They're taking him, Zenitsu! We lose him!" His voice was so torn, so broken. Was squeezing the opposite shoulders so hard now.

The blond boy was locked, petrified. If Tanjirou couldn't do anything... what would he be able to do? The second friend he made in the entire life was leaving, they were killing him inside to replace him with a monster. And they weren't being able to prevent it because only Inosuke was the one who could remedy it. And he didn't, the threat was much stronger than him.

"Stupid boar!" Zenitsu, exploding with sadness and anger, grabbed the sleeve of the wild boy's yukata and waved it. "You can't do this to us! You have no right!" Now there were three persons crying. The wind began to form frost on everything it touched. Grass, stones, walls, roof... And meanwhile, the feral kid's black base hair faded to a light brown. The lightning boy with didn't have his attention, the demon kept repeating the same phrases, without hearing anyone, or anything else. "Damn it, Inosuke!" Tired, anguished, and terrified, he slapped the wild man's cheek with enormous force, tilting his face in the process.

Silence after the echo of the hit that resounded, sharp, in all corners of the estate. A general silence of the three, none of them created a single sound again. The half-mane and lopsided position of Inosuke's head prevented the others from knowing what was going through his eyes. Zenitsu began to tremble as realized what he had done, being watched by the redhead boy who was in complete shock.

"Ze-nitsu..." he tried to get out of the impact.

"I-I didn't... I didn't want..." couldn't control his shivering, it seemed that at any moment his legs would fail. Stopped talking stuttering when he heard the demon's heart speed up in an inhuman way, just like his intense breathing that was beginning to notice

The voices had stopped tugging at his mind... But only for a few moments. They returned with more fury, more power. They had made him collapse, left him defenseless and dragged him mercilessly. Zenitsu's strike ignited that pride he was fighting against, making the voices louder. Why? Because he felt weak before Zenitsu.

A gale surrounded their bodies and sent the other boys flying for a few meters. They both hit their backs against the ice figures. There were so many that it was impossible not to touch one. Inosuke stretched out his body and raised the head to heaven with tearful eyes, surprisingly wide and clutching his bangs, tugging at the scalp. It wasn't known how all the strands hadn't been pulled out. It was the loudest, longest, most horrible scream he'd ever given. The purple veins on his body swelled under the pale skin. With that sound coming from his throat, the three of them were locked in a cage made of new sharp pillars, as tall as they were thick.

"ZENITSU!" Tanjirou desperately called out to his friend, who clung to one of the stakes as his life depended on it, avoiding being lifted up by the fierce wind that was in there. If he got caught in it, would be stamped to death against everything in his way. "STAY THERE!" started to let go little by little, trying to walk.

"WHAT DO YOU DO?! YOU'RE GONNA DIE, STOP!"

He ignored the blond kid's pleas and continued, holding on from one piece of ice to another as he advanced, putting all the strength into his hands and feet. Had to reach him again, he had to reach him. There were no other alternatives. Giving up wasn't an option. And if he was destined to die there, at least would die fighting to fix the situation.

"TANJIROU, LOOK!" The yellow swordman caught his attention, but not to see him, but Inosuke.

Very slowly, from the sides of his pale forehead, new horns began to emerge. One on each side, sharp, white. Bloody for breaking the skin on appearing. The redhead boy had to hurry up. If he didn't, the demon would never remember who he was, who they were, and he would devote his life to killing for pleasure every creature that stood before him. And in the worst and most likely case, he would be captured by Muzan to officially become a Upper Moon and serve him. He couldn't allow any of it. Never would. In a last breath of adrenaline, pounced on the wild boy, managing to crash him into one of the icy pieces that made up the prison and planting a rough, desperate and painful kiss.

Slowly, the blizzard weakened, saving Zenitsu's life. He fell to his knees, resting his trembling hands on the frosty grass. In the process of the violent kiss, Inosuke's left eye lost its green to become exactly the same as the right, harboring only a few strokes of the missing kanji. His eyelids closed and everything stopped in time. The voices, the pain, the pressure... Everything disappeared to leave room only for the warm presence of familiar but aggressive lips. Unfortunately... it was a temporary solution. Only until the contact was broken. And confident that he could save him, Tanjirou cut him off. His pale throat immediately choked, his eyes flashed wildly and hit the red swordsman's chest, sending him flying like a shell. Not satisfied with it, he lunged forward like a furious beast.

"NO, DON'T DO IT!" Zenitsu wasn't at the necessary distance to stop him despite trying. He could hear Tanjirou's ribs snap from the crash, but he was still conscious, sitting on the ground.

It was his end. The one he loved so much, the one he trusted so much... was going to end his life. Was going to condemn Nezuko to the complete loss of her family, alone. The wild boy was just inches from him. In slow motion, what happened in two seconds seemed much longer. After Inosuke, the prison had been opened from the outside, being pierced by the Hashiras. The eight swordsmen. The eight swords. Eight attacks piercing his demonic body from behind. The water blade his chest. The wind blade his belly. The sound blade his right shoulder. The love blade his left shoulder. The mist blade his right arm. The stone blade his left arm. The snake blade his right thigh. And the flower blade directly to the neck.

Both young men squeezed their eyes shut before the last knockout on the demon. Everything froze until they heard a body collapse to dead weight, the clink of swords being sheathed and the flow of blood escaping outward.

"I said it long ago... It's over." Sanemi stated with a few first and last words before the environment was lost.

They stopped listening and the darkness closed in.

Heaviness, a feeling of tamping in his chest. Painful and annoying. Took a deep breath and began to open his reddish eyes, letting light enter the dilated pupils that had to contract on receiving the light. He blinked slowly and slowly, blurring at the white ceiling. He began to feel his body on a soft, fluffy surface, covered in fine cloth. Were sheets. Immediately after beginning to be conscious, felt deep in his soul the thousands of pieces of his broken heart. Wept silently, unable to put on any expression. Tears ran down his gaunt face and died on touching the pillow. Slowly, he turned the head. Zenitsu was there too, covering his eyes with one arm, trembling. I knew it, I was also sobbing, uncontrollable.

He didn't know what was going to do now. Tanjirou lost him. He slipped from his arms and he would never return. It was still hard for her to believe would never see those beautiful eyes again, those sweet lips, his rosy cheeks, his soft hair, his attractive body... It was never going to cross his eyes again. Nor to hear his voice, the sounds of his heavy footsteps. Nor his aroma, that smell of berries, earth and pine. He had taken everything with him, including his own spirit. He had ripped it off after being stripped of death.

What was he going to do now? Didn't know how to live like this. Before he was officially a demon slayer, his life was depressing, meaningless for him. Was only moving for Nezuko, to save hers. His own life brought him careless, but couldn't leave her alone, so he forced himself to continue living in a hell from which he wanted to escape from the depths of his being. Had started to be happy when he found the boys, almost at the same time. He began to live with pleasure being three. Didn't know how to do it being two. He was missing such a large, vital piece. And was sure Zenitsu felt the same. They were both guys wanting to die before they met each other. Inosuke was the only one who did have the insatiable urge to eat the entire world from the start. He was always a boy brimming with energy and confidence. He was the positive, albeit strange, light that illuminated his paths to craziness and fun. And now, that light had gone out, had permanently turn off. He had left them in the dark.

The door to the infirmary room opened and they heard footsteps approach. Afterwards, stop between both beds and lean against the wall.

"You're awake. I thought you were going to take longer." was Uzui, who in his tone was voice, there wasn't as much energy as usual. He carefully observed the lack of attention and response from the young people. "I'm sorry. None wanted to reach this point."

They didn't blame him. It was his job, his life goal; exterminate any demon that posed an imminent threat. They could tell he was also affected.

"It's not anyone's fault..." Tanjirou's husky voice murmured, but audible. He didn't blame any Pilar. No person. Only those two demons without feelings, cruel.

"We did everything we could... Seriously, I'm really sorry we had to get to this point. But... he will be calm now..."

Obviously he would be, he was dead. Only hoped he could have reunited with his mother. The one who tried to separate him from the clutches of Douma, the one who gave her life for him. He wished they were both together now, no more pain, no more suffering. And also, to be able to see Shinobu up there, wherever his pures spirits were. Always knew she was like a mother to the wild young man. He could be with them both, without further worries, enjoying eternity with them. Unintentionally, his irritated cheeks were soaked again.

"It's been a week. Agatsuma woke up on the third day. He was very concerned about you."

He turned the head slowly towards Zenitsu, who hiding his golden eyes with the forearm and trembled his lower lip. He knew Tanjirou was looking at him. And above all, knew that he was thanking him for the slight bells that were heard from the redhead boy.

"I'll notify Aoi. He has something ready for you." and without more, left the room, leaving the ambient in the same state as at the beginning. Silent, depressive.

Minutes later, the young woman entered with a tray of food. The aroma was delicious, different from what she normally offered them. Put the tray on the table and watched them with haggard eyes. She didn't seem to have slept well in days. The silence was still there, uncomfortable.

"I... took the trouble to do something better for when you woke up." It was an attempt to cheer him up in some way with food. That would have worked if Inosuke was him... "I hope you can enjoy it. I also came to tell you can move, your ribs are better..."

She left, distressed and pressured by the situation.

After a few minutes of uncertainty, the redhead kid took the tray and put it on his lap, watching with blurred eyes its contents. A bowl of delicious aroma; ramen with juicy noodles, meat and vegetables. A second plate of rice balls stuffed with tuna and a third full of tempura, the latter being the wild boy's favorite. His heart shrunk. His mind played a cruel game. In front of him, visualized the bluish hair man, sitting on the bed and ruthlessly stealing each piece to put it in his mouth, anxious and staining his lips and cheeks without caring. The furtive tears escaped again. He seemed so real... Could hear him chewing violently, smelling the happiness wasted when he ate. But he wasn't there, he was product of his head. No one else was in his bed. No one... What little appetite he may have had was gone. Put the tray back on the table, having touched nothing.

If only he had hurried... If he had the courage to tell how much loved him. But he waited. He made the worst mistake of his life. It was already too late. Hadn't been able to tell him everything Inosuke made him feel, show him how much wanted to kiss him nonstop. All while he was conscious, not simply when he became like Nezuko. That wasn't valid, because the wild boy was only guided by instinct, without understanding anything else. The love he felt had been locked in every broken piece of his heart, without that sender who should have received it. He had a future, he planned it with illusion in the head. Grow together with him between kisses and hugs. Live together in the same home. Eat together. To leave together. Visit Nezuko, Zenitsu and any friends together. Visit markets, participate in festivals, laugh... Hold hands forever, make love over and over... Die naturally, satisfied with the happiness they had been able to share. Everything broke. That future had vanished along with the life of the one who had inadvertently healed his soul. His chest hurt so much, he felt so sick.

"Zenitsu..."

"Mmm."

"I need... to refresh myself a little. Can you help me walk to the bathroom?" In spite of being able to speak vocalizing, his tone was so hoarse, so muffled.

The blond kid didn't think twice. He got up and helped his friend to do the same. Put his arm around his shoulders and led him calmly and carefully through the halls. Waited for him to wash his face with cold water, which camouflaged the abundant salty rivers that would not stop flowing. Put the hands on the wall and closed the eyes, frowning, supporting the anguish and the weight of his windpipe. An infinite number of infernal minutes of fighting against sadness.

They returned at a slow pace, passing through the many closed and open doors of the corridors. One of them, halfway through closing, caught his attention a little, making Zenitsu stop. He could see the reflection of burning candles. Undecided, they opened the door to find themselves in a dark room, only lit by the small flames. It was just a small altar in a room... An altar of fortune. Tanjirou had seen many of them through the windows of the villagers' houses when he went to the town, younger. They used to be worn when wanted to bring good luck to the home or people in that home. He sighed, disappointed. Wanted to leave, but couldn't move from the place until Zenitsu did. Had indicated with a slight tug that was ready to leave the dull room. The lightning slayer didn't reply. Instead, the redhead boy found his friend staring at a fixed point. He didn't know how to interpret his face. Decided to quench the curiosity to find out what kept the kid in such a strange state.

And there was, in the dim darkness. A busy bed. A body covered by a sheet, up to the neck. A chest that rose and fell gracefully and calmly. A parted lips let in and out slight currents of hot and cold air. Closed eyes with long, thick eyelashes. An angelic face decorated by five reddish marks. A dark, bicolor half-mane of black and blue, with light reflections caused by the flames of the candles. A bittersweet aroma and melodic beats. No one was breathing except for that figure.

It had to be a beautiful joke or a cursed miracle.

"Inosuke..."


	14. What is love?

Exhausted, tired, euphoric, happy... He felt how little by little his chest was regenerating inside, how those pieces joined and fused to return to form a loving and beating heart. The lack of energy was no impediment to exhilaration and smiles. After three days since they found, without waiting for and dejected, the living body of his beloved boar, their attitudes began to be born again. But they were so confused that didn't stop until they got explanations, to know why he was there and they didn't tell them anything. Know why everyone was so sad as if he really had died. Kanao was responsible. She gave the last blow to Inosuke's pale neck in that wild and chaotic fight. But not to end his life. She would never have been able to do something like that. Instead, he had used Shibobu's sword. That weapon that didn't slice heads, but introduced with each cut any substance in which it was bathed. Before passing away, the former Insect Hashira had so many unproven poisons, so many unverified elixirs, so many medicines to test... Luckily and unfortunately, she had one unfinished. A permanent remedy that couldn't be eliminated from the body, which entered the cerebrospinal fluid and would remain there until its true end. The new Pillar, with Aoi's help, had tried to finish that powerful medicine. They always knew, they weren't that experienced, so there could be chances of side effects or not working... The goal was to silence those voices in the boy's brain. They couldn't eliminate them, as they weren't of mental origin, but came from the demonic mixture of two overly powerful bloods. They could only hope that his brain was unable to perceive them. But... at what price? Well, after a week, they knew that the risk to pay was...

"If it doesn't work in any way…" The young nurse, sitting in that dark room on a chair, accompanied by Kanao and talking to the two boys, kept her gaze fixed on that chest that rose and fell so slowly... "He may not wake up again, even though he's alive..." she made both swordsmen swallow their own lungs. "That's why none of us was fine, we knew he could stay like this forever... He worries us all, even those who don't want to admit it." closed her eyes and clenched her fists in her lap. "I'm so sorry, but this is all we can do..."

"You've done a lot, more than enough... Thank you." Tanjirou's calm and kindness upset both girls so much that neither of them knew what to say more. "Without you, he wouldn't be here. Really, I'm so grateful..." Held back the moistening of his tears, enduring the itch in them. Although there was a chance that he wouldn't wake up, the situation was a thousand times better than if he had died. Inosuke was a demon, he had all eternity to open his eyes, even though his friends didn't. But that didn't matter to him, just wished that everything went well for the wild kid, whether it was early or late.

Of course, it hurt to think that he himself might die of old age while the demon was able to continue dormant. Wished with all might that he wake up soon, to be able to see those emeralds again. Didn't care not knowing what attitude he was going to meet. Just wanted to see him get up on his own feet.

Two weeks, three weeks, one month... Month and a half without any movement, without news. Uncertainty always filled everyone's heads with many questions, and the most frequent were what was Kibutsuji planning, why there was no recent trace of him. Whatever it was, they thought they were sure it was the calm before the storm. Returning through the main entrance, full of scratches, Tanjirou and Zenitsu returned, always accompanied by that box in which Nezuko lived. They had just completed a four-day mission. Not because it was complicated, but because of the huge plague of low-level demons they had to face. It wasn't very complicated, but with such a number of monsters, time was not an ally. As teenagers they were, their bodies progressively changed for the better. Slightly taller, not too tall, with more muscle mass concealed under the same clothes as always, slightly more adult features. Although the latter, by far barely noticeable, were still 15 years old. After a general check, both of injuries and physical update, they proceeded to be healed in the infirmary. Aoi had finished with the blond kid's wounds and was proceeding to focus on the other boy's.

"I didn't expect that in a month your height would increase so much." The young woman commented, wiping away the dried blood. "Although well, men tend to grow almost suddenly at this age, I suppose a silly thing that surprises me." she gave a slight laugh and covered the cut to proceed to do the same with the rest of the scratches. "1.68 cm for Tanjirou, and 1.67'5 cm for Zenitsu. In truth, it's not bad, but you still have the face and voice of dwarf kids."

"Hey! Don't make fun of me." The redhead gave a slight laugh as Zenitsu blushed, embarrassed and smiling.

"It's true." she began to put away his utensils. "Well, I'll let you rest for now."

Tanjirou settled himself a little and put the hands behind the head, looking up at the ceiling. He began to question some things, and one of them was about whether Nezuko, when she returned to being human, would regain the appearance of her real age or if she would stay where was and start growing from that point of pause. If it took many years, would she look like a child despite having more? It was something that had suddenly come to mind. Would the same happen with Inosuke? Since he converted, he didn't witness any physical change in him. Not even minimal. It was true that demons didn't age once they became like that. Had the clear example of Rui, that spider demon of the Twelve Moons who agreed to serve Muzan as a child, and as a child seemed to stay.

"What do you think?" Zenitsu interrupted the course of his head and forced to look at him.

"Ah, it's nothing. I just wandered." sat down on the bed and got up. "I'm going to see Inosuke, are you coming?"

"Later, right now I'm busted." It looked like he was going to sleep at any moment. The redhead nodded at him and left the room.

He didn't take more than a minute to arrive in that dark room lit by the candles on the altar. They explained that they had put it on to attract fortune to the demon and help him wake up as soon as possible. He didn't hesitate to sit on the edge of the mattress, being able to observe that beautiful face reflected by the orange light. The rest remained hidden under the covers. He gently picked up one of his blue strands. Too long. It had grown back to a surreal length. The tips of the mane brushed the ground, cascading down the edges. The speed of growth of his hair was much higher. Maybe it had to do with the high regeneration he had.

"Sorry for not having been these days. We had to control a pretty ugly plague." began to speak to him, running the fingers through the soft strand in his hands. "I see you have been combed while I was gone, you have no tangles." Tanjirou visited him every day, talked to him for hours, groomed his hair to keep it looking healthy, and refreshed the skin of his face from time to time with a damp towel. "Aoi said Zenitsu and I are a little taller. I'm kind of excited about that." let out a thoughtful sound. "I don't know if I will reach the same height as my father. Or maybe more. I doubt very much, my mother wasn't that tall..." It was difficult for him to deduce it when both parents were at two different ends. "I'd really like to know how tall you can grow." brushed a few strands of his dark bangs off the eyebrows. Then remembered that in that terrifying mishap two horns appeared on his forehead, but they weren't there. Possibly cut the growth entirely by knocking him out. "I hope you wake up soon, I have so many important things to tell you... I just hope you don't kick me or beat me to death when you hear it." let out a contained laugh. "I wish so much to teach you more about people and their customs. We have been together for a long time and still you hardly know too much. Deep down I know that you are very intelligent, only that you aren't used to thinking. I bet anything that with a little practice thinking won't require any effort." didn't think he was a fool, on the contrary. The only thing missing was custom and adaptation. Moved from his hair to the cheek, feeling the softness of his pale skin. "You're like an angel..." whispered, outlining a smirk. "There's nothing can defeat you, you really seem like a divine and immortal creature..." He was grateful that nobody was around, would die of shame if he were caught in full affectionate phrases. "I love you so much..." approached without haste to caress his lips with his own.

Before he could touch them, Inosuke began to cough, an act that made Tanjirou freeze. He didn't want to suggest himself, nor give himself such miraculous hopes, it could easily be a reaction of the body to a little saliva that would have been diverted to another conduit. It didn't mean that he had awakened from his coma... The coughs stopped and silence returned to engulf the room. Guessed it, he was right not to get excited. Still, was devastated by the fact that he continued to doze off, oblivious to any world. But the redhead noticed something strange again. The demon's breath hitched to a stop and the muscles in his neck bulged, tense and stiff. Was able to stand up and leaned in, preparing himself in case needed to do anything with the boy's body, that didn't look good. The cough came back suddenly, more intense. The young wild man's own face was beginning to frown. The redhead kid, without wasting any more time, lifted his torso and bent forward. With the help of a pat on the back, his breathing dropped again until it became rhythmic. Tanjirou sighed, had sweat cold with the situation. Slowly, dropped Inosuke onto the mattress, keeping the hands on his back until he touched the bed.

"You never stop scaring me..." He held back a second sigh. "If it isn't for health or injuries, it's because you throw yourself into danger like crazy. You have a thousand ways to make me nervous..." but could handle it most of the time, his patience was admirable. Tidied up the sheet that covered him. It had wrinkled when picked him up and exposed his yukata at the top.

He sat for the second time in the same place and wandered, losing himself in that thick forest of dark lashes. Was the first man to see that he had such a delicate and fine face. Was sure that if he left his hair short like him, he wouldn't lose a bit of beauty. Everything was on his features. He was so used to frowning the few times he didn't wear the mask, that looking at him with a relaxed expression was like looking at the face of a goddess. He knew that the demon bothered, but it was true; He had a woman's face, and a very graceful one, too. He couldn't deny reality, but could no speak of it. Could hear in his head every bone the young wild man would break him if brought up the topic. It would be terrifying. On the verge of combing one of his thin eyebrows with his thumb, stopped the hand in the air, fixing his reddish gaze on the trembling eyelids of others and feeling the heart stop. Very slowly, and with several flutters, his eyes made their way through his long lashes. It didn't keep them ajar, so it constantly opened and closed.

"Inosuke!" Euphoric, grabbed his hand, moving slightly over the other. He had to go warn Aoi, knew that. But... Needed to enjoy that moment, just a couple of minutes. "How a relief..." Almost tears welled up when he saw that she wasn't going to wait eternity to be able to see those two beautiful emeralds again... If it had not been because they weren't there. Or at least, not both. His smile faded. That right eye had acquired the lunar rainbow... permanently. The green gemstone wouldn't return with him. He was a spectator of how Inosuke turned his head very slowly towards his direction, just a few centimeters. He couldn't quite open his eyelids. Not yet. "Hello, how are you?" That beautiful smile came back as pressed his pale hand with his own. Waited for an answer that didn't come. Hadn't forgotten that most of the time, the demon didn't have full mental faculties. Got rid of negativity by shaking his head. It wasn't something new, so could handle it. It was unnecessary to feel bad about something that was a daily routine.

"Why do you look at me like that?"

His voice, annoyed, slightly torn by a possible start of irascible attitude, surprised Tanjirou greatly. He spoke during the day! The boy's heart leaped like mad through his rib cage, excited, happy. Didn't even listen to the boy's rude and common behavior.

"Nothing, nothing." breathed a sigh of relief, still holding his hand. Didn't realize that he was still holding his. "I'm so happy that you're fine." didn't even care that his right eye was the Second Moon's, it didn't matter. Would not stop seeing him the same way.

Inosuke withdrew his hand somewhat abruptly. Contrary to what one would think, Tanjirou liked the gesture. Not because it was beautiful, but because it was a hallmark only the feral kid had; be rough, sloppy, direct, sometimes somewhat unpleasant in behavior.

"Why are you here?" He asked, wrinkling his nose, but still not getting up. His body was very heavy, so wasn't going to make a fool of himself, nor to appear weak with embarrassing attempts to do so.

"I came to see you. I do it every day." admitted, satisfied and pleased.

"Ah... And who are you, supposed to come see me?"

"I... I didn't think it bothered you..." Happiness was a little out of place. "But we are friends..." That was what hurt him most of all what was said. "Friends take care of each other, you know that."

"No. You didn't understand me, tomato head. I say who the hell are you."

Silence.

"How?..."

"You're deaf?" He raised the volume as he sat up to sit with his back against the head of the bed, apparently more upset. "I don't know you, shit! I'm asking who you are, damn it! Is it that difficult to understand or am I asking you in weasel language?!" He looked around the room. "And where the hell is my mask?! Speaks!" He demanded, already shouting.

The redhead felt the chest tighten again. Did fate mock him? Why were all these things happening? He couldn't tie the strings... Apparently, his beloved wild boy didn't remember who he was... And logically, neither Zenitsu. No one, since they were the first to know him. It had to be a damn punishment for something very ugly that he did in his past life... He was so pale, feeling again the itch in the eyes and nausea in his stomach.

"I-I'm... Tanjirou Kamado." His attitude became much more subdued, but he tried to look good in front of him.

"Okay, Gonpachiro Kamaboko. Come closer and tell me if I'm not a fantastic joker."

"Huh?..." The redhead froze again, not understanding.

"Look, you're an idiot." grabbed him by the yukata sleeve, smiling and showing his fangs in the process. Ttugged on him just to get his face closer and tease, sticking the tip of his tongue out in a childish gesture. "You believed it all."

The swordsman couldn't get out of amazement. Was it a joke? Little by little, a trembling smile transformed his grimace to culminate in a laugh. A laugh that immediately spread over the demon, sounding both voices in unison and wasting amusement in their tones. When they stopped laughing, they didn't allow silence to reign.

"Hey... Do you hear something? You know... In your mind..." Addressing that was awkward. Fortunately, the other denied.

"You don't know how relieved I am to have the silence in my head... I don't know how it happened, but I'm happy." He made the swordsman smile tenderly.

"That's the way it should always be. Oh, and you almost made me die of worry with the joke. I'm so glad it was a lie."

"I would never forget someone so important, Tontaro."

Unintentionally, Inosuke had given brushstrokes of pleasure to Tanjirou's heart. Was aware that he should not get excited, the wild boy didn't understand many things and his words used to be of innocent connotation. But it was enough for the redhead. Well, no. It was not. He almost lost it without saying anything. It wasn't right like that. He couldn't afford to delay it any longer. Had to avoid falling into the same time trap again. Never knew when something terrible was about to happen, and he experienced it firsthand. Would never agree to repeat it again.

"Momojiro?" he wanted to attract his attention, was seeing that it was lost in his mind and was making strange faces.

"Inosuke, I have to... talk to you very seriously." It was serious enough to half scare the other boy, which he didn't show.

"About what? Let's see, I just woke up. I can't have done anything yet." He sounded like Tanjirou was going to have a fight with him, so he answered that way.

"No, relax. It's not because of something you have done. It's about me..." He had to stop to think and choose the right words. Wouldn't bear the situation if the thing went wrong. "You see, I... After you're almost die, I've realized that I can't delay it any longer. I have felt this for a long time, but I didn't realize it until recently... "he sighed, lowering the gaze for a few seconds, then armed himself with courage and facing the opposite eyes with determination. "Inosuke, I lo-"

"You're awake!"

That feminine voice made the boys jump into their places. Tanjirou felt a wave of heat rise from head to toe, and not shame. His intentions had been interrupted before, and he didn't like it at all. Especially when had to deal with such important matters. It made him burn inside.

"Yes, I am."

"And you regained your consciousness entirely! This is great!" Aoi hurried over to him and began to quickly and delicately inspect the demon's eyes, scalp, and mouth. The boy complained and became irritated when touched so freely. "I see you didn't lose the habit of fighting me while I trying to see your condition." she put her hands on the waist. "Well, do you feel dizzy? Tired?"

"No, nothing."

Silence.

"Tanjirou. Do he feel tired or dizzy?"

The poor redhead was trapped. He knew that Inosuke was lying, it was so easy to smell... In another situation, would have tried to get him out of the way without being very obvious, but it was his health, so apologized to him with a glance. The wild kid replied by clicking his tongue and frowning.

"Yes, just pretty tired." sigh.

"It's okay. If I had known you would wake up so soon I would have created a routine workout for you. You have lost a month and a half of improvement."

"Whatever." He shrugged it off, tilting his head without interest. "Not even necessary, I will train as I always do."

Aoi rolled her eyes and walked out the door, but not before making a sound of exasperation.

"Gonpachiro, I want to take a bath." he reported his wish for him to take all the necessary things. He had just woken up and had no idea where they were being kept.

"Sure, give me a moment." got up and started to get everything he needed out of the furniture, still turning the head. Could take advantage of the bath time to tell him everything. And the best part was that they would be alone, without interruptions. Cleaning time was still far off, they couldn't be bothered them time. He was leaving everything on the bottom corner of the bed. "Inosuke, does it bother you if I take the bath with you?"

"Why I should? Of course not."

"I just wanted to make sure." gave him one of his typical, radiant smiles, so warm.

They both turned back to the entrance, where a frozen blond boy stood. He made Tanjirou blink with confusion at that reaction. Was about to call him by name as a question when Zenitsu jumped on top of Inosuke, crying heavily and hugging him like a tick hooked to the skin of an animal.

"WAAGGH! WHAT DO YOU DO?! MONITSU, STUPID CRYBABY!" he was about to say **you're hurting me**, but he noticed and cut himself off before doing so. Would never admit something like that.

"I missed you so much, I thought you were dying!" Don't leave me alone anymore! Who will protect me from danger when Tanjirou can't?!" It was really an excuse not to admit that he loved him like a good friend. His last words touched the demon's ego, so he calmed down and patted the yellow head proudly.

"There's nothing that defeat me. You're my subordinate, so I have to protect you even if Monchiro is in front." That high self-esteem tone almost made Tanjirou laugh at them.

Hearing him speak as he did before made the blond kid cry even more, feeling he had recovered his half-human-half-boar friend.

"Yes, please!" He raised his dirty, wet face, resting his hands on the mattress and inadvertently catching long blue strands that tugged at the demon's head.

"Stupid, my hair, you idiot!"

The redhead couldn't take it anymore. He had to let out that short, but powerful and sonorous laugh.

"Oh, sorry!" Zenitsu stopped to look at the mane. He only stopped going to see him for a week because was training, and he didn't even remember it so long. "Does it grow as if it were a regeneration? It's a lot." He picked up one and inspected it, feeling the thickness and hardness of his hair in the touch of its buds. It was very strong and shiny. Very healthy, without a doubt. "Are you going to bath?" He realized as soon as looked out before they had things ready.

"Yes, I had just finished taking everything." Tanjirou replied.

"Oh good. I... I have to go do something. So this time, I'll pass. See you later." And without further ado, and with some suspicious haste, he left.

"That was weird." Inosuke said, confused by that sudden attitude. Normally he wasn't a coward for bathing.

"It doesn't have to. He will have something important." The redhead did know why Zenitsu had reacted like this, and greatly appreciated it. The blond boy wasn't a fool, he knew they needed an intimate time alone, and granted it, because they were within his rights. "You can walk?"

"What question is that? Yes, I can!" He uncovered himself completely and planted his bare feet on the floor. He stood up, and as took the first step, his knee buckled weakly and he fell forward. He would have been hit hard if it hadn't been for the swordsman's reflexes saving him halfway.

"I don't think so." smiled, a little nervous. Knew Inosuke hated when he looked weak or in need of too much help.

"Mgh..." he growled with contained rage, but was aware that the rest of the attempts would be just as embarrassing, so he decided to save himself the show and let Tanjirou support him. In any case, it was he who had offered the most help and who had seen him most helpless. Fully confident.

"Do you mind if I carry you with my arms? It's for you to take all this. If I carry you on my back I won't have hands free and neither will you." And he doubted it could stay coiled a long time by itself.

"Agh, ok." He didn't like that posture visually, but the positive point was very good; he rested like a king like that. Took all the things and waited. Stared at how in some strange way the redhead boy was... taller? He didn't like that.

"What the fuck, Gonpachiro? Since when are you taller than me?" Those statements made the boy stand up again, who was already bending over to carry him. Then he realized the brutal difference.

"Well..." shrugged with a tight smile. "I've always been a little taller."

"BUT THAT WASN'T NOTABLE, IT WAS VERY LITTLE! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" he almost clung to him to compare and make it look like he was right. His forehead collided with the opposite chin. In revenge for that, he head-butted her in the same area, knocking him back.

"Ouch! But what fault am I?!" rubbed his chin with a pitiful expression.

"All the fault, for growing up without my permission!"

"And here we go again..." Tanjirou whispered to himself. He had already lost count of how many times Inosuke had acted the same way when someone got something and he didn't. "Come on, we'll be late. And I know you don't want to miss the warm baths, right?"

There he caught him. The hot water made him rejoice in pleasure, and it was one of the few things he couldn't deny. His only response was to purse his lips and eyebrows.

Taking advantage of that, the swordsman bent down again, put one hand on the other's back and the other behind his knees, in the popliteal holes. Raised him so easily that he was surprised. Either he was stronger, or the demon had lost weight. Or both at the same time. Decided not to mention it, in any case, that they were all possible, the other was going to react with a new tantrum. Effortlessly took him to the large bathrooms on the estate and left him on the floor upon arrival, right next to a wooden bench. It didn't take long for the young demon to sit down, he was just falling over again. His body was still asleep. Left everything in another seat next to him and proceeded to untie the yukata.

"Do you need my help?" Without thinking, Tanjirou offered. Had gotten used to being the one to undress him, since the demon alone never did. Forgot that fact, that he was no longer dependent.

"To take off a yukata? Really, Monjirou?" He sounded quite offended.

"Sorry, it's the custom." laughed nervously and began to undress as well.

Before completely got rid of the garment, Inosuke tied a towel around his waist, just like they always did. It had been taught to him by Tanjirou and Zenitsu when he first bathed in a tub. The redhead did it at the same time. The feral kid got up and dropped the yukata without any care. He noticed the powerful reddish gaze of the other piercing his entire abdomen, he could feel the itch on his skin.

"How much are you looking at?"

"Inosuke..." His voice didn't seem very happy, rather, worried. It wasn't for less. Up to that point did the fact of not devour demons in a time? Although it made more sense to think it had been for being in bed for a month and a half. Or they could easily be both options together. That body so muscled and strong... was not. Instead, he found a slim, smooth one with no protruding muscle or bone, except for the hip and clavicles. The same thing had happened with his limbs, they were thin. His whole body was, but it didn't make him look bad. Rather, it was the average thin body. And damn attractive. It was very strange to see him like this, without bulking. "It's nothing, I was thinking and I had my eyes there without realizing it. Sorry if I have bothered you."

"Stop thinking, your brain will be spoiled from using it so much." he crossed the arms with a sly smile.

"I can't deny that." He chuckled. "But I'm like that." walked over to him and reloaded. This time, tried to deflect his face to an angle that Inosuke couldn't see. Was aware that he was going to blush for obvious reasons, and he wasn't wrong. However, for the boar boy it was so... incomprehensible to feel ashamed of something as natural as the body. He didn't know what modesty meant, and therefore could not take it as such. Was about to put him on his feet in the water when the demon screamed.

"Wait!" From under the towel, he pulled out a pink bow that he had just realized had tied to his thigh the entire time. "What...?"

"Ah, I gave you that a long time ago. You always carry it there to hold one of your weapons. Although at first it was for you to hold your hair."

"Ohh." He inspected it a little more and decided to use it. It was going to be a problem if he got in there with everything hair on the loose. The hair would wash later, being outside the water. He gathered everything up, hoping that Tanjirou wouldn't drop him, and made an inexperienced bun, tousled and with quite a bit of his wild personality. But that only made him look prettier than he already was. And the redhead was holding on as he could, looking everywhere.

When he knew was over, put him in the bath and then he entered. And just before dipping everything, the towels were removed. With the water up to the neck, Inosuke sank back, leaning his head against the wall with a sigh, closing his eyes, and carrying several weird imaginary flying specks around him. The blush that went up was intense, warm. He could die right there and he wouldn't mind. Just as he didn't care about the other's insistent red eyes. He felt it, and didn't care. He was too busy enjoying the bath.

And it was he was crazy. With or without muscles, his body was still a perfect sculpture. Was unable to stop looking at him. Observing that face flushed by the vapors, its closed eyelids and its relaxed eyebrows gave him such a calm and adorable air. He wanted to eat Inosuke right there, and not literally. What would his skin taste like? It was a fleeting, pointless question that sent a chill down his spine. Sank a little deeper, trying to clear himself and keep his mind on what really mattered.

"Inosuke."

"Mmm..."

Those kinds of sounds weren't helpful.

"I need to pick up on what we were talking about earlier." His serious tone again captured the attention of the wild boy, who opened his green eyes without haste and separated his head from the wall. Those simple gestures prompted him to continue. "You see... I'm aware that you don't understand this kind of... human things. But before I explain it to you, I need to tell you." faced him, determined to continue. The expression kept the demon in a strange trance. He noticed that the young man with the scar looked slightly more manly because he grew up a bit, but could only notice it up close. Before he wasn't, no matter how much he saw him. "I liked you for a long time. And I didn't know to see it until after you became a demon. It was there that I understood, and I didn't care that you weren't human. For me, you will always be you." At the moment, he saw no rejection. "But that's the beginning. The more things happened to you, the more afraid I was for you and I realized that it wasn't a simple like. And when I was about to lose you... I felt that the next to die would be me, but for sadness for not having you with me." The long-haired boy was unusually quiet, perhaps analyzing what he heard at his own pace. "I can't delay it any longer and make again the mistake of not telling you. It was almost too late for that, and I'm not going to risk a second time." Without warning, reached for his hands underwater and brought them to the surface between his, somewhat tense. Looked into his eyes, into those eyes so different from each other. To the beautiful emerald and the colorful rainbow with the elegant kanji.

He wasn't being rejected, and the most likely reason was because Inosuke regarded Tanjirou as his equal, the strongest and most reliable of his pack along with him. And therefore, considered the most important and irreplaceable member. He wouldn't hesitate to leave his life in the hands of the swordsman if necessary. Felt comfortable and safe with him, no matter the context. "Inosuke, I love you, I adore you. Along with my sister, you're the light of my life. I need you by my side. It's your energy that has given us back the desire to enjoy our lives, and I also speak for Zenitsu on that. You're wonderful and I can't imagine a happy future without you."

He finished and waited patiently for an answer. It was impossible to know what was going through the demon's head, who only looked at him with the same expression as at the beginning. He didn't know if that was good or bad...

He was only able to smell a hint of confusion. The rest of the aromas that each emotion had couldn't be perceived. And to see how those beautiful heterochromatic eyes struck his soul, or at least, that was his feeling; that of being set on fire by that single sharp left pupil. His heart went to his throat with every beat, scared, anxious, and very embarrassed.


	15. The laws of nature

Impatience was eating away at him like a hungry parasite. The few seconds in his head were desperate, long and slow minutes. He was holding almost zero breath from expectation. It didn't even blink. And wasn't going to retire in that duel of glances either. Continued to grip Inosuke's hands, squeezing more and more inadvertently. The other, however, didn't seem to suffer a bit of nerves, expelling something impossible to read with his features. He opened the mouth slightly, an act that made Tanjirou fix the eyes more and dilate his round pupils. But still didn't hear his voice. Was he hesitating to answer? Or didn't he know how? Either way, the redhead was beginning to lose any hope with that simple, excessively long silence. Without waiting for it, watched in the first row as the demon started a laugh. He wasn't mocking, nor was it by humor. He smelled... happiness?

"Of course you love me, Gonpachiro! It's normal!" He raised the chin in a superb gesture. "I'm the strongest and the coolest, everyone loves me. You were not going to be the exception. I know you admire me."

Wrong. All wrong. He hadn't understood anything, but it was logical, since didn't explain exactly what he meant. A normal person would have understood instantly, but the wild boy was another case. Gave him a soft smile and loosened his grip.

"It's also true, but I don't mean that. It's something more... special." Between the heat of the water and that of his own shame it seemed that he was going to eject smoke soon. At the young man's questioning face, he continued. "Let's see how I explain it..." needed to take an example that Inosuke knew. "You know that in nature males look for a female, right?" saw him nod. "Well, it's like that, it just doesn't matter if neither of us is a female."

The demon narrowed the eyes, seeming to judge the swordsman deeply. His brow furrowed slightly and his lips twisted. He thought understood the situation, but it was... weird. He needed to ask to make sure he was right.

"Do you want copulate with me?" he didn't let him answer, as kept talking. "Do you know that only females can be on heat and that you have to do it with more than one? If you want to procreate, go for anyone, there are many." he didn't say it because I wanted to, but because it was the natural way of having human puppies. Actually, it made him angry to think about it.

"What?!" let go of his hands suddenly and began to make exaggerated gestures of denial, noting his face burn as if lava was running through his veins. "No, is not that! I don't mean having babies! Oh, god!..." turned to the side and covered his face, shrugging a little. Wanted the earth to swallow him right there. For him it was too intense a situation. Wasn't used to dealing with topics like that. The wild young man crossed his arms, watching him with a raised eyebrow. He did not understand anything that the redhead was trying to say, he explained regrettably.

"So what? It's not in the sense that I'm a beloved leader, it's not in the reproductive sense." He paused for a moment to pay attention again. The taller one kept pitying himself, and that swelled a vein in his pale temple. He stepped closer and tugged at his red hair to force to look at him. After the pain complaint, he spoke. "Do you want to tell me now or are you going to keep crying, Tontaro?"

He had upset the long-haired one. Didn't want the situation to be conducted that way. Had ruined the good atmosphere with his attitude of shame and modesty. Tried to listen to him and relax, taking deep breaths and closing the eyes, then opening them and focusing only on him.

"Sorry... These things make me nervous..." confessed. So, at least, Inosuke could try to be a little empathetic. "I... I didn't mean heat. We don't even need it. Mmm..." went back to look for another example to give him. He hit the answer on the head when, by sheer luck, thought of birds. There were some in particular that were always seen in spring. "Right! I mean I love you the way swans love each other." The other cocked his head. There weren't many swans on his mountain, so he never had a chance to learn their behaviors. "When a swan finds a couple, and this couple agrees to be by their side, they're together for life. For them there will be only both. They're birds that can feel the affection, so much so that if one of them dies, the other can die of loneliness and sadness. That's what I mean with you." put the hands on his pale arms, holding him gently. "I love you as a swan loves his life partner. Like... a courtship that never ends, only towards you. The way I love you is that."

There he had understood. So... Did Tanjirou want he to be his swan? A lifelong partner to cortege every day? He didn't know how or why, but there was that uncomfortable jumble of stomach. It became familiar. He had felt it before, possibly before becoming a demon. He had forgotten how it felt, and didn't like it because it made his nerves sober and softened his rude attitude. That was no longer the same as a simple heat, it was much more important, more intimate. So much that being two males it didn't matter. He looked dizzy, and what didn't know was that his cheeks and nose were as red as the other boy's. It could be even more. He began to babble and make strange sounds with the letters. His tongue was stuck and his voice didn't want to come out whole. Looking like this made the redhead not so helpless with those feelings. They were both the same, and that relaxed him somewhat. Suddenly, the demon pushed the reddish head down, plunging and taking advantage of the fact that he could not hear him to emit a sharp squeal of shame. After a few seconds he let him go up again when finished letting off steam. The one with the scar emerged and began to cough loudly. Hot water had run down his mouth and nose.

"Why did you do that?! You almost drowned me!" wasn't angry, rather, shocked.

"Because I wanted!" as is well. He would never admit that it was to shout modestly. It was the first time he felt modesty. Didn't like it. "But it's wrong! How am I going to know whether to accept that or not?!" in not being something as simple as mere reproduction, it was difficult for him to know the conditions he had to fulfill. Had previously experienced anger, sadness, appreciation, happiness... But not that unique affection, or love, to call it otherwise.

"I can... tell you how I feel. They're the same feelings for all people. If you have them..." bit his own lip and smiled slightly, unable to get rid of the intense blush. "When I'm with you, time passes too quickly. I get anxious when you're not around and I can't wait to see you again. I look closely at your whole body, especially your expressions. Your laughs, smiles and the brightness of your eyes makes my heart race. Almost every time I'm with you I feel like my stomach turns and I get very hot. I feel the need to protect you and take care of everything, even if you are stronger than me." His reddish irises sparkled with emotion. "Your presence makes me happy."

"Huh... There are many things..." he whispered. Had been answering one by one in the head as he was saying them. Didn't remember them just now, but he did remember the answers. "I thought the stomach was because I was hungry." He touched his own abdomen underwater. A minute ago had felt just that. And some more. "And what do I do if I have all those things?"

"But..." Tanjirou couldn't believe what had just heard in such a carefree way. "Do you really feel them towards me? Or is it towards someone else?...

"Gross. As you mention Monitsu I swear I eat your crow." It was the only one apart from Tanjirou that he considered important too. It gave him a chill so strong that could see his back tremble.

Had understood what Inosuke meant. He felt all this towards him. His scent was lightening and could tell by the smell that this was reciprocated. His heartbeat was overflowing, was going to run out of air. Came closer again, more relaxed, and allowed himself to join Inosuke's forehead. He, for a moment, flattened himself back as he believed that one of those deadly headbutts the redhead used to give. But having skin to skin calmed him down.

"Inosuke, I want to ask you something..." murmured with a tone hoarser than normal, bristling the other's hair in the process.

"What?" He tried not to get carried away by a behavior that could regret later.

"Can I kiss you?" Had already done it many times, but he were cheating kisses directed at a person without the mental capacity to understand what was happening. But now it was different, much more intimate, more special.

"What's that?"

He surprised the swordsman, who looked at him with wide eyes, separating the forehead to focus better with that incredulous expression. Although if considered it, it wasn't so far-fetched that the demon didn't know that. Since met him, as a human he never gave or received any, the body part didn't matter. Loosened the eyelids and smiled tenderly, an act that further raised the temperature of the other's paler cheeks.

"A kiss is..." could show it directly and make a beautiful scene. But he wasn't like that, couldn't do something he didn't know if the wild boy was going to allow him or not. "It's when a person's lips touch something. In this case... I want to touch yours. May l?..."

A few brief silent seconds passed that killed Tanjirou inside, from impatience. Inosuke didn't believe that a kiss was anything out of this world. Touch with the lips? Too simple, but it was fine. He didn't care. Didn't understand why he wanted to do that to him, none of them had such an easy thing. Or so he thought...

"It sounds easy. Come on, I let you do it." to him it was as if he touched a knee with the hand.

The answers pleased the swordsman so much a smile so radiant that it made the wild kid shrink and look away. He didn't turn his head, he knew that had to face him so that could give him that thing called** kiss**. Tanjirou placed the hand on the opposite cheek and approached his hydrated pink lips to plant his on them. Was slow, delicate, gentle, and a novice. So nice Inosuke froze in place astonished that something as silly as a touch could cause everything he was beginning to feel in his chest. He felt sensations similar to when fought with all his strength and was winning. It was very pleasant, too. His body dictated he had to close the eyes. He obeyed his instincts, just as had always done. Incompressible, sealing the eyelids further intensified his senses and gave him more joy. He didn't understand why this was happening, but he was loving it. Frowned and opened his gaze when the lips parted, generating that beautiful sound that the kisses left when finished.

"Didn't you like it?..." Tanjirou thought when he saw his expression.

"I want another one!" he demanded, almost throwing himself at him, trying to be intimidating to make sure he did. He made the other laugh, so was shocked by the reaction. "What are you laughing at?!" red heat, excitement and discomfort. A whole explosive package that went off when he got what he wanted again.

The redhead had kissed him again, and he hastened to repeat the same steps as with the previous one. He already knew what it was like, so could also participate instead of standing still. What was a static and sweet kiss, became several and infinite more, short, just as slow, and with numerous sounds that both liked to hear. Inosuke slid the hands to the opposite shoulders and hugged them, drawing closer. Without falling behind, the swordsman with the scar pushed the demon towards himself from the nape of the neck, and with the free hand did the same to his back. The boy with blue tips was an ocean of new sensations and feelings, brutally powerful and pleasant. Animals didn't do that, he never saw anything like a kiss in the nature. He understood that it was something unique to humans, and was passionate about it. He was very grateful for taking the demon slayer initiation. If he hadn't, would still be on his mountain trying to survive for another year. And he wouldn't have crossed paths with Tanjirou either. He couldn't imagine a happy life without him anymore. Would feel bored and down, sulky. He realized was thinking exactly the same thing that the redhead told him at the beginning in his confession. The slayer said loved him for all those things. So he loved him back too? Would answer yes without much thought, using the head wasn't his thing.

Tanjirou wasn't going to level up, it was too soon for Inosuke. If a few normal loving kisses made his skin burn, didn't want to imagine if the pace increased. And didn't think he was ready yet. They were both rookies at it. The redhead had saved himself from making a fool just because he kissed well out of sheer talent. And the demon the same. Their lips colored and slightly puffy parted very slowly, their eyes locked on each other. The one of the swordsman overflowing with love for all his brilliance, and the one of the wild boy hypnotized, enraptured with what was before him and for the fullness with which he had filled him. The one with the scar tenderly stroked his pale back and brought the hand from the back of his neck to his flushed face to pamper him.

"I love you so much..." really wanted to cry with happiness.

"I think... me too." so inexperienced was that the tone he used was excessively normal, as if it were an everyday thing. It made the redhead find it harder to hold back his tears. "And you're going to kiss me many times every day, understand?" He was demanding it, not asking. He had discovered a wonder and was not going to miss it.

"All you want." That radiant smile shone like the sun itself, blinding the demon's eyes with beauty. "So... does that mean we are... boyfriends?"

"What's that?"

Oh, god... Tanjirou put a hand to his own forehead, expressing slight exasperation. That boy... was too inexperienced and innocent. As rude, foul-mouthed and violent as he tried to be, underneath was an adorable and pure boy.

"Boyfriend is someone with whom you have a loving relationship."

"Oh. You're right!" He put the fists on thw waist and raised the head proudly. "I'm your boyfriend, so feel lucky. Not everyone can boast of having the great king of the mountain as boyfriend."

He always managed to laugh out loud wherever he went. The wild kid was genuine fun. Those beautiful words stuck with him. Was very excited, felt floating in a dream from which he did not want to wake up. Pinched himself underwater, just in case. Nothing happened, Inosuke was still in front of him, wearing a red face from the steam. It was real. So real he burst with happiness and hugged him tightly, unable to erase that smile that was already starting to hurt. The demon took a while to come out of the surprise trance, but he reciprocated by passing his arms under the other's and putting his hands on the redhead's shoulder blades. It felt good too. He thought remembered it was called hug. Yes, it was so. It wasn't as exciting as a kiss, as it quickened his pulse, while the current gesture relaxed him. But it was still pleasant.

In a few minutes they emerged from the huge tub. Tanjirou dried himself a bit and wrapped the towel around his waist. Inosuke decided to sit on the wooden bench, not using his own at all, after filling a bucket with hot water, he untied the band and threw his entire mane forward over both shoulders. With his fingers he tried to untangle some possible knot, but he couldn't. Not with those nails. Frowned, looking down at the long red claws. The swordsman heard him sigh in rage and approached him from behind.

"What happen?" leaned over his dark head.

"Nothing." He didn't want to admit that had a hard time doing something so easy. Passing that step, he took the bucket and poured some of the water over his head, soaking all of his hair and body. He used the palms and fingertips to lather his head. Normally he scratched, but with those claws it was impossible. He piled and split the mane without leaving a single strand unwashed. It cost him a lot and the redhead could see it.

"Do you want me to help you?"

"I don't need help, Gonpachiro." he growled. "But I want you to do it." good idea to excuse himself on whim for not telling the truth. And like the wonderful person he was, the one with the scar obeyed and proceeded to wet his hands and then massage the head of the wild boy. He closed his demonic eyes, letting himself be carried away by the pleasure. Tanjirou had a lot of practice, having washed the hair of his brothers and sisters, including Nezuko, numerous times. "Is that okay or stronger?"

"Mmm..." That pleasant sound was enough to make him understand that the force exerted was adequate.

The redhead boy took the bucket and poured more water on the demon, who did not complain. Didn't remove all the foam, since continued with the work. A couple of minutes more and completely rinsed all the hair afterwards, leaving it clean and bright. Without asking permission, combed it with the fingers. He knew Inosuke didn't care, and was right. The wild young man enjoyed each act as much as the last.

"Ugh... It's too long, itches my legs." It was uncomfortable having to be scratching every second everywhere. "You don't have a sword out there at hand, right?"

"Are you crazy? How are you going to use a sword for that?" his laughter many times saved the demon from getting angry. "I already knew you were going to want to cut it, so I brought scissors in my yukata. I hadn't told you, but I've been cutting your hair for a long time every time it grows." caught the wild man's attention, who turned curiously to look at him.

"Really?"

"Really. After you tried to do it yourself and tore your strands, I never left you alone with scissors. And I also started grooming of it myself."

"Was I so stupid? Did Monitsu infect me with his germs during that time or what?" He made the swordsman laugh again. Felt full and satisfied every time he got it. It made him very happy to be aware of how much the boy with the scar had taken care of him.

Tanjirou took the scissors, and carefully, began to measure by eye and cut.

"Hey, Monjiro." The other replied with a whisper to let him know he was listening. "Why when you discovered my face did you start treating me so good? Why you didn't continue fighting? I was very bad with you to make you angry, but you were always much more pleasant with me. Why?"

"Because... Well. It 's difficult to explain. For one thing, I just wanted to keep us from fighting, you were too agressive. And on the other... I think when I saw you I had a crush."

"And what's that?"

And there was repeated again, as for the third or fourth time, the question most used by the young man with blue hair.

"It's when you feel attraction towards someone you don't know. I think I even screamed at you that you had fair-skinned and you were attractive. I was very surprised and nervous, and that escaped of my mouth." let out a slight laugh, continuing the cuts.

"How idiot." He accompanied with another laugh, one too soft to be his. But in front of Tanjirou he didn't need to rip his voice on purpose anymore. Got used to doing it to pretend to be more rude and to overcome wild animals, and since then there has been no time in which he abandoned that abrupt tone. Except for when he could completely relax and fearlessly use a calmer, more youthful normal tone in accordance with his age and the size of his windpipe. It was a voice that Tanjirou had never heard before. Or at least, couldn't remember if he had used it once, but loved it. "I just hope you don't crash anyone else." He had said it wrong, although his point was understood.

"Calm down, you were the first and the last with whom I felt that." put the scissors aside and combed the fingers a little. "It's finished, just like you always wore it." had actually left it a little longer than that, but none would notice.

"Good!" He stood up suddenly, causing him to feel slightly dizzy. His body had truly undergone a radical change... Finer, with a smoother appearance. But what most caught his attention were his legs. They were excessively sexy in Tanjirou's eyes. "Are you looking at my legs?" he could feel the itch on his lower limbs and realize it. Gave the redhead a little jump, as if he had been caught doing something wrong.

"Sorry, I got a little distracted." gave a nervous laugh, scratching the back of the head.

"Why are you apologizing, Tontaro? I don't care if you look at me." He wasn't lying, but was hiding the fact that having reddish eyes on him in that way caused tension in his invisible muscles. A tension that was not entirely unpleasant.

The other just smiled, trying to avoid looking up. Was able to calm down when the demon rolled up his own towel, covering that back area in a slightly round and attractive way. When the wild boy turned to him, Tanjirou don't hesitated to give him a chaste and quick kiss. In response, was lightly punched in the chest by the other kid, who was smiling, showing the tips of his sharp fangs. It was a harmless touch, with no force on its impact.

They walked slowly back to the room, already dressed, going through the darker area of the hallways. Inosuke was able to walk, but slowly and with short steps. His body was still stiff from having spent a month and a half without moving anything. He leaned out the thin crack in the window, looking out at the bright outside. He sighed loudly through the nose. Wanted to get out, he hated being locked up. But knew that if he did, he would turn to ashes, and didn't want that. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, between his neck and the pointy bone. He turned the head slightly, enough to squint at his rainbow orb at Tanjirou.

"We can train a little tonight. It will be good for you to start loosening your muscles and not being so tense." had been able to notice it every time touched him. He was stiff. Had to get rid of it. Watched carefully as the young man with the blue tips went to the bed and threw himself on it without any care, on his back, with his arms open and his legs sprawled. Subtlety was definitely not synonymous with him. Tanjirou followed and sat next to him, putting his feet up on the mattress. Inosuke refocused on him and allowed a few seconds to pass.

"Kiss me." But before the redhead could even accept, he had already grabbed him by the yukata and forced to bend down so could reach his lips in a strong contact, but not for that reason unpleasant. It made him crazy to do that, he was passionate about kissing. How could he not discover it before? It was a tremendous sin to have known it today. And what bothered him most was that surely even the children would know what it meant. On instinct and with the intention of venting, he bit the other lip too hard, causing the swordsman to groan away. He hadn't hurt him, but it was painful.

"Hey!" Tanjirou massaged his lower lip, red from the small attack. "That's not how you bite, it hurts." saw one of his thin black eyebrows rise. "It's not necessary to use so much force. Attentive." returned to his work on the other's mouth, which received it without question. Subsequently, it was he who bit, but in a soft and surprisingly exciting way for the demon. Tugged on the piece of meat until it came loose on its own. "That way, Inosuke."

At the boar boy's wish, the session continued, fighting him in a showdown of who bit best. The minutes flew by and the level went up without them noticing. Tanjirou, in one of the moments, had the need to fill the other's mouth with the tongue. It was an act confused the demon, but that left him with a suffocating burning in his chest, face and belly. Like everything he discovered, he mimicked the swordsman's movements until they began to fight for control. Somehow, he felt that had done this before, it didn't feel as new as he thought. The longer, the hotter the contact was. The yukata was becoming very uncomfortable. In himself, the clothes usually bothered him. Well now even more. He thought was in a boiling cauldron and couldn't bear it.

"Wait." He had to cut the act. "I'm deathly hot. Argh..." he ended up complaining at the end as he opened the upper part so that the skin of his chest breathed. It was slightly irritated.

What he didn't know was that Tanjirou was the same, and that it wasn't really the clothes' fault. This gave the redhead tenderness. He had so much innocence in such an abrupt head... In fact, he had just realized that the word also started with -inno, just with a one more letter. That brought out a sweet smile left the wild young man confused and rapt. Approached again and filled his beautiful red face with tender kisses. Intoxicated with affection, Inosuke hugged him genuinely, seeking nothing more than the pleasant and fluffy contact of the situation. It was like being in paradise. The swordsman, clouded with sensations, shook his head to one side and changed the aim, his pale neck receiving the kisses. The demon shuddered and a sigh escaped him, shocked by the strange response of his body. Unable to control it, his legs twisted a little uneasily for some reason. His movements became more tense as he noticed the appearance of gentle nibbles on his skin, which subsequently descended to his clavicles. He bit his own tongue and kept the mouth closed with pressure. The throat wanted to make noises that he wasn't sure he was letting out. The worst thing was that those risque pampering didn't come alone. They were accompanied by rough hands ran down his chest and ribs with excruciating caresses. He could hear his own heart racing. Didn't know what Tanjirou was doing with him, but it was even better than kisses on the mouth. He could see the redhead was scorched when also had to open his yukata from the upper area. He felt it on his sensitive skin, a tickle and intense vibrations.

Something was looming over them.


	16. Young and disobedient

Unfortunately for someone, Inosuke didn't know if was liking it or not. The light bites and kisses on his neck and collarbones ignited sensations he didn't understand, too strange and different from how good a kiss felt, for example. Or a hug. Was restless and couldn't find himself comfortable like that. He had nothing against how the opposite actions were perceived on his skin, it was not what bothered him, but that his body emitted sighs that he hadn't approved. He thought was appearing to be weak because of it, and didn't want to allow it. He trusted the redhead boy and had no problem letting the guard down with him. But it was one thing, and quite another was to feel weak directly. He shoved Tanjirou hard, pushing him away and dumbfounded by the sudden sharpness.

"What happens? Have I hurt you somewhere?" began to worry, thinking that some bite might have been exceeded.

"No, those weak things don't hurt me!" he was outraged. "I don't like you going there." pointed to the corresponding areas on his pale skin slightly marked by teeth and spots of a very soft purple tone. "It's nasty and weird." Made blinked the redhead kid several times, forcing him to turn the gears in his head. He sighed, smiling.

"It's okay." knew that this was going to happen. Definitely, the demon was not yet ready to go that far. His aversion to the most intimate acts were for fear of something very new and unknown, and therefore, being unprotected, could smell it in him. "I won't do it again unless you want."

"So better." He was satisfied with the swordsman's response. Overall, didn't think he was going to want, he already made it clear was unpleasant.

Tanjirou kissed his forehead and directed the reddish gaze at the thin light crack in the window. It had a slight orange hue. The day was falling.

"I will go to see Nezuko for a moment, I still haven't visited her today." and he had to go before she left, they still continued with that divided routine. Luckily, Inosuke couldn't move too much, so there was no need to cast the little demon out during the day. But at night it wasn't known, with the darkness, the demons acted under advantage and could allow the long-haired young man to make his movements. The words seemed to annoy the other boy, who frowned and sighed.

Ok, go." He was aware of how important it was for the redhead kid to see his sister, so would not retain him despite not wanting to be left alone. Still, unhesitatingly showed his tiny anger, folding the arms and dodging his eyes with a frown. With his attitude made the swordsman feel a wave of tenderness cover him completely.

"I'll be back when the night starts, there's not much time." leaned toward him and placed a soft and loving kiss on the lips of other, and he were unable to reject it. "Don't do crazy things, okay? You can get dizzy and hurt yourself."

"I'm not weak!" complained. Although for Tanjirou he was, just had to see he lost all his muscles... Reason enough to think he wasn't very resistant at the moment.

"I know." He got up and opened the door. "But take care of your body when it's not right, please." the serious tone prevented Inosuke from daring to contradict him, made self-conscious just like Shinobu used to do when she faced the wild young man and his antics.

He growled, slightly angry, after the redhead left. He spread the arms on the bed and looked at the ceiling. Had nothing against Nezuko, he really liked her, was his minion, but... inside had unbearable impulse that forced him to see her as any other demon he had to devour. His currently decent head and instinct quarreled a bit when he thought about it. His mind warned him to protect her because she was precious to him, and especially to Tanjirou. But his new nature told him that hunger would be his downfall and eat her. There were moments in the past when he enjoyed the presence of the girl a little. He was not going to be able to repeat those moments and it gave him a lot of annoyance. He himself considered having her in front of him would cause a mismatch. Clenched the jaw and frowned even more, if he could. Would not step on the same room as her, would avoid her at all times if by chance came across her in the distance. He forbade himself.

Ah, thinking of Kamaboko's sister made him so hungry... He wanted to heed Tanjirou's words, he did not want a serious confrontation with him that could spoil everything, both psychological and physical. Was weak, he knew, but with such an appetite that it hurt. Opened the mouth to breathe through it, his nose was no longer enough. He could feel his fangs growing and his mouth salivating as a warning that he needed urgent food, it was not on a whim. He couldn't wait to be given meat for dinner, there was still time. He swallowed and swallowed, and his salivary glands continued to function excessively. Let out a roar, enraged, as he brought his four limbs up to drop them onto the mattress with great force, rattling the inner springs.

"What the fuck am I doing? Nobody orders the great Inosuke!" clicked his tongue and stood up. Got rid of some suppressed anger from the yukata, leaving him lying in a corner of the room. Looked for his clothes, which were few, and began putting them on. Tied the white underwear that fell only in front of his hip, and placed the fur skirt so characteristic of him on top. Looked for some sandals and put them on too. Since he transformed, had been barefoot the entire time, except for the occasional situation. It was time to protect the soles of his feet a bit, although... He had been so long without wearing footwear had gotten used to all terrain and had hardened, he could not take damage despite stepping on sharp stones . Then discarded the shoes. He outfitted his two swords and stared at the pink bow on the table. Decided to take it and tie it around his right thigh. Took the serrated knife from a drawer and put it between the tight tie and his leg. He took the spear that had been offered to him long ago and placed it where the swords. And finally, his precious boar mask. Put it on his head and tried to lower it, at least until it covered his nose and eyes. It wasn't made to hide half his face, but to be more or less at the level of his eyebrows and forehead. But he did it with insistence and brute force. Missed that it covered everything.

He left the room, taking advantage of the sunset to get into the darkest corners of the corridors. Could still hear some voices. He was slow as a precaution, so as not to force his body too much. At the same time, it made him silent. Stopped at the exit and looked outside. The damn sun... The long and majestic fur of the boar's head could cover him entirely. Anyone who saw him would think was a boar with hair so long that the hooves would not show. But couldn't do that. What the hell did a huge wild boar in the middle of the yard? Would attract a lot of attention. Had to be more careful and seek the shadows of the closest trees. Right next door had one. It didn't take him long to get out and position himself under his foliage. He had barely had time to feel the searing heat that was capable of piercing him. Heard the voices of Tanjirou and Zenitsu, and unintelligible female murmurs. Was them... He had them next to him, visible, but far away. Avoided looking. Not making eye contact was the only thing that allowed him to fight the instinct to attack on the redhead boy's sister. He could feel the mouth watering. Leaving immediately was essential. Scanned the entire area near him. There were shadows, enough to cross. Unfortunately, he had to jump from one to the other, and if went fast, would draw attention to himself with the sound of grass under his feet. For his bad luck, had to change his characteristic brute and swift strategy to just the opposite; a slow and silent one. He bent down, spreading his legs very elastic, slightly bending his knees and laying his hands on the ground. Swords and spear lay on his back. He moved slowly without losing the low stance until he reached the limit of the shadow. Put one leg forward and immediately brought his body forward, using the thrust of his hands and his other limb. In this way the wild style was even more pronounced, resembling a stealthy, agile and menacing tribal hunter with a perfect experience in the art of stalking. It did not generate any kind of noise, he knew it because Zenitsu had not yet put the scream in the sky. He went on like that, on all fours, and surprisingly elegant and wild from shadow to shadow. Until he reached the damn bamboo wall that blocked his path. Had only one option, and hoped he would not be discovered; jump it. He looked out of the corner of his eye, just enough to see red hair. Enough. He looked away and directed it to the top of the fence. Still in four, together his hands and feet, simulating the posture of a sitting animal. He bent his elbows, lowering the torso, and with a quick movement, propelled himself with all his limbs in one jump. Brought his hands forward, grabbed the edge of the wall, and finished overcoming it. The blond boy had heard this, but saw nothing in the address, so he assumed it was an outside animal.

Once safe and in constant darkness thanks to the body of forest trees, he was able to regain his upright posture. That had numbed him a little. Decided to use the spear as a support when walking and avoid doing damage that he could regret. Caught it with both hands, putting in front of him instead of off to the side. For his position, the most optimal thing was to have continued with his low position at ground level, but for his health it was to walk normally. Was not going to completely disobey Tanjirou. He said "don't do crazy things", and he wasn't doing any. Was just going for something useful to eat. And he was taking the trouble to be careful. So the redhead couldn't scold him. Similarly... Why the heck should he feel embarrassed if the slayer scolded him? Was his subordinate boyfriend, the leader boss was him! Thinking those things made him quicken the pace and make it harder without realizing it, driving the spear stick harder with each step.

"Stupid Genjirou..." growled under his breath, noticing how a tiny tide of heat rose up his neck and clung to his half-hidden cheeks. And now why? For he had not the remotest idea of that sudden sensation, nor was going to analyze it. He stopped and turned his body into an inanimate, static sculpture. Slight vibrations buzzed across his white, hypersensitive skin. It was not something small that was approaching. He began to wonder if it had been a good idea... Quickly, slapped himself, annoyed. "Once again Kentaro's germs stuck to me! I shouldn't have let him stick his tongue up my throat, he infected me!" guarded the spear, and instead drew his swords. Still felt his face burn, more than before having said the latter. He no longer knew if his stomach was from hunger or Monjirou's wretch. Attributed it to the first option. Was not wrong, but neither would he have been if he chose the other option. They were both the ones with annoying abdomen. Unbearable. He could feel it, had the enemy on him, although didn't see him.

"A new friend? How interesting, with that style."

A hoarse and annoying voice was heard above his head. He raised it, looking at an obvious demon, quite large and stocky, with dark green hair and a little long, full of curls. A rather intimidating male face. He looked like a damn criminal. Nothing is further from reality.

"And apart from being interesting, also more handsome than you. Damn with your face..." he suppressed a mocking and offensive laugh, provoking on purpose.

"You're a chic wild demon. Where the fuck did you come from?" seemed like a very fussy weirdo, no matter how ugly his appearance was. What kind of low-ranking demon was complaining about the beauty of others?

"Hah?" He frowned. "I come from my mom. What the heck with that question?"

The larger creature couldn't take the answers was giving him seriously. Was he really like this or did he play stupid? Although, supposed he was serious because of his expressive tone.

"You're very strange." smiled monstrously and jumped down, shaking the earth at his feet and slightly destabilizing the younger man, who recovered almost immediately. It must have fallen, as it was a special move, and he didn't. "You didn't fall... You're not as weak as I thought. I'm going to have fun killing you."

"Yes, come on!" wanted to see how he tried, confident and ready to fight. Passion began to invade him as took a neutral position and two more horns were born from his back. His behavior confused the enemy. Must have been trembling with fear, not rejoicing at the simple idea of being smashed, which greatly annoyed the big demon.

The huge monster pounced on him without a plan. That was too easy to predict for Inosuke, who already knew what move to make. But his legs didn't move. He was giving the order with his brain. Why the hell was his feet not obeying? They did it in the end, but too late. The psychological reaction capacity was fine, but the physical one was not, and was attributed precisely to the lack of energy and power. The other plunged his big fist into the guts of the young man, who doubled over to receive it and was thrown a few meters back, rolling on the ground with terrifying brutality. He regained control and returned to a low position, digging the claws of his hands and feet to slow himself down. Somehow, the hit woke his muscles and released them from the seizure. He felt less stiff and heavy. Perhaps because of the numerous turns that moved him across the ground.

"Is that all your strength? How weak!" gave a powerful hysterical laugh and it was his turn to attack, taking advantage of the opponent's angry astonishment. As he got closer, drew his swords and crossed them in an X. When he was close enough, opened his arms, making deep diagonal cuts outward. It had not reached the neck, he needed to aim higher. But had left it pretty bad. It was notorious that it was a simple low-ranking demon. The enemy, after a terrible and heartrending scream, sent a furious slap into the air in the tiny hope of hitting the smallest. The wild boy ducked lower still, leaving the path of the random attack. Using his stance, amputated both feet and stepped on the huge knees, propelled himself and flipped backwards. The force of the support caused the enemy to fall back, which was later accompanied by a kick to the jaw when he performed the skillful stunt. Before reaching the ground, still close and higher than before, he effortlessly sliced his neck. The demon screeched and his head rolled a little on the ground, watching with great panic what had just happened.

"What are you?!" He sounded deranged, terrified, and incredulous.

"The king of the mountain!" He raised his swords to heaven and started a maniacal and insane laugh.

The body of the defeated began to melt into thin air. But his head still remained, expressing a thousand emotions of panic and strangeness. That kid was crazy! He could be stronger, yes, but he was behaving like a psychiatric patient who had had his sanity medications taken away. Saw him approach, his fangs growing and his green eyes sparkling.

"No, wait! What are you planning?! Stay away!"

Very late.

After approximately twenty minutes, his head rose to the sky with his eyes closed and relaxed, still hidden under the half mask. The blood covering his cheeks, mouth, and chin splattered the air slightly at the movement. He hadn't left a miserable sliver of bone. Stood up, beginning to feel the energy of his had missed so much running through his body. It wasn't as much as usual, but it wasn't a waste either. From that moment on, he could last a day, at most two, without feeding again. It was a short time, really. The bones of his shoulder blades were removed a while ago. He stretched his thin arms up, tensing his slim torso and staying quite comfortable. All of him was bathing in blood. His steps have not started yet. A presence loomed, glued to him. He looked around and saw very tiny gray fur. Turned the gaze to some herbs and tore them off. Proceeded to sit cross-legged, leaving the green strands in his bowl-shaped hands. The animal sniffed and came out of hiding. Two long ears pricked up at the thought of eagerly devouring that vegetable meal. Little by little, approached the demon and ate from his hands. In an urge to crave, the rabbit climbed onto his lap to catch the grass more easily. Inosuke couldn't help but smile, happy and satisfied. He loved animals. If he hunted them, it was only for survival. Deep down, did not like much to end someone's life, although he was impassive in doing so, only because of his unhealthy obsession with not looking like a weakling.

"You were also hungry, huh." he murmured, talking to the little animal. "Finding decent food is difficult for both of us." stroked his tiny head with the fingertips. "I like you, I hope I don't have to eat you someday." The rabbit moved his nose, finishing his delicacy and going down from the boy's lap. Groomed a little in front of him and left where came from. It had left a very pleasant sensation on the chest of the wild kid.

"You found him?!

"No... But how far could he have been being like this? He must be hiding..." Zenitsu was aware this was not at all typical of Inosuke. He was missing, and considering his physical condition, didn't think he was gone.

However, Tanjirou could imagine the demon sneaking away. The thing was where the hell had he gone, why, how did he do it, if they were out all the time, and if something had happened to him. He didn't know it, but the scent of the young wild man had been impregnated after that intimacy session, and therefore could not smell him if he left, because had been smelling unconsciously since he left the room. He was nervous, worried, and a little upset.

"When I caught him..." wasn't going to do him much, possibly would scold him in that sweet way that only he knew how to do. Had excessive understanding.

"When you catch me, what?"

Both swordsmen looked up. On the nearest tree, sitting on a branch and hanging a leg, was the demon they were looking for so much, covered by the dark and black shadow of the foliage. The redhead didn't need to see, could smell the blood. And was relieved when he realized it wasn't his.

"You have gone hunting demons, right?" It was the perfect explanation for the red bath that had him covered. "Inosuke, I told you not to go out!" did not look angry, his reddish eyes showed genuine uneasiness and unease.

"Lie. You told me not to do crazy things. And I haven't done any, I was just looking for my food."

"You have a good memory for what interests you, stupid boar..." muttered the blond kid, who was annoyed.

"Did you say something, Zenbatsu?" His eyes took on a terrifying glow that made the other tremble and spasm terror.

"No, nothing!"

"Inosuke..." Tanjirou sighed with a hand on the forehead. "All right, I understand that you couldn't wait... But if you had explained it to me, I would have gone with you so you didn't try hard."

"What do you say? And leave my minion number four alone when she was the reason you went out? Has no sense." His tone of voice had risen, a little angry.

"Okay, right..." He sighed. "You win. But next time, please let me know."

"Oh, come on, Gonpachiro." he rolled the eyes for a moment and crossed the arms. "It was just a weak demon, he barely brushed me-...

The branch snapped and fell along with the young wild man. It was so sudden that he didn't have time to react. Just to close his eyes tight and wait for the tremendous impact on his back. A hit that never came. Instead, it was replaced by a timely, but surprising, grip. Zenitsu, who had been under the branch, was able to retreat a bit, although doing so put himself in the path of the demon. He also didn't have time to dodge a second time, so his instincts only tried to stop the fall of what was going to crush him, just as his eyelids were tightly closed. It was so shocking to notice that something was on his arms, but that it hardly weighed anything. Not even his arms were pulled down a bit when he suddenly caught him. They both opened their eyes and looked at each other, exactly with the same expression of disbelief and surprise. The mask, luckily for Inosuke, hadn't budged from his sight and nose, so was able to hide the mental impact a bit. Just a little because Zenitsu could hear his emotions anyway.

A heavy silence formed.

A mute environment that was broken with the scream of horror of one and the scream of anger of another. The blond boy took a sudden punch to the cheek, and immediately released the young wild man, reaching for the attacked area.

"What way is that to thank me, idiot?!" he had saved him from breaking his ass against the hard ground, no less than a thank. Ah, he had forgotten that was Inosuke who he thought of.

"Thank me for this!" He was going to grab the bulge of his crotch, but was cut in time by the redhead, who stopped him by the wrist.

"We have understood, there is no need." He was smiling very nervous at the grotesque action that the demon was almost going to carry out.

"Are you fucking to me?!" asked angrily at the fact that he had now fallen short compared to his friends. It made the blond man burst into laughter, crying with laughter and putting the hand a few inches above the animal head, pointing out the obvious. "Fuck off!" Inosuke hit him again, this time in the stomach to make him lose air and shut up. Surprisingly, failed to take air out of Zenitsu, who was still lost in the laugh. He looked at his pale and red hands, already worried. And his strength? Had left because he no longer had musculature?

"Inosuke, are you okay?" The redhead put a hand on his small shoulder and saw him turn.

"How am I going to be okay?! I just gave him a punch almost destroyed my fist and he hasn't even felt it!" Now it was he who was panicking.

"That's why Aoi advised that she would give you in adequate training, but you refused." didn't blame him, just reminded him.

"Oh god... I can't believe it." At last, Zenitsu could not suffer any more aggressions from Inosuke. Could face him and fight him whenever he wanted, was no longer going to grieve.

"Keep teasing and I won't need the strength to impale you."

Well there he was right, Zenitsu forgot that he had acquired Douma's icy power and could easily grow an ice stick underneath him. So, wasn't so sure wanted to face him anymore.

"We can improvise for now..." The flame swordsman was thoughtful. "The least demanding thing I can think of is running. Can you run?"

"Of course I can! Who do you take me for?!" and without saying more, he started. He was followed by the redhead boy to supervise him. And the blonde kid did not want to be alone, so he participated only for that.

In a very unfortunate way, when traveling only half a estate he was already tired. Definitely, his condition was much worse than that time after defeating the demons of Mount Natagumo. But didn't want to stop even though his legs felt like anvils and the chest burned with pain. Was breathing badly through his mouth, his trachea so strained that when he inhaled there was a slight beep.

"Inosuke, I think you can stop now!" Tanjirou called out. Didn't want to see him collapse.

"Shut up, I can still...!" no, he couldn't. His body forced him to stop and duck, resting the hands on his trembling thighs. "Fuck!" was reached within two seconds by the other pair. The redhead rubbed his pale back.

"It's not necessary to do everything at once. You already know that workouts are routine because they go little by little."

"I hate you." he looked at him with pursed lips, for it was the only thing the swordsman could see of his face.

"You love me." smiled so satisfied with the silence the demon returned to bully Zenitsu, trampling on his feet. The light weight was not enough for the blond boy to complain, he had even been distracted pretended to vomit as a nasty joke. As unpleasant as seeing those two stupids so blushed they understood why he did it.


	17. Tanjirou's primitive savagery

Twenty minutes. Only twenty minutes and his body was already glued to the grass, with his four limbs extended and irregular breathing. He was sweating, his skin stained a deep red from the effort. The paleness of his complexion made that color appear stronger than it really was. Powdered, without further explanation. All for not giving in to asking Aoi for help and preparing the most suitable training. Tanjirou was trying to do everything had in the hands, but he did not know which exercises were the most optimal for a delicate Inosuke. He came to think that was even being too hard on him, physically speaking, and didn't know how to lower the level anymore. The demon barely resisted a run, could not lift some not-so-large stones, was unable to strike without hurting himself while the target remained intact.

Two disastrous nights.

"Really, we should ask for help for this. Come on, it will be no different than when we trained after the Mount Natagumo fight." The redhead could only try to convince him to give in. Was squatting next to him.

"Never! I won't go through that shit again."

"I do." Zenitsu spoke, dancing foolishly at the idea of repeating such a pleasant training with the girls. They were his only motivation.

"I'm hungry..." he complained. The demon that hunted only gave him to endure a couple of days. It was the bad thing about devouring only low-ranking demons. Luckily, his unsatisfied appetite hadn't made a dent yet.

The red swordsman sighed. That was a problem. Without food, in half a day more, he would become even weaker, and that was not the plan. They already needed a more stable solution to replace almost daily demon hunting. There were simply times when there was not one nearby, the young wild could not always depend on something like that. Tanjirou watched him closely for a few seconds. They knew what skills he had lost: strength and endurance. But what about the rest? Would check it out. Knelt between Inosuke's slightly spread-out legs, took them and spread them sideways, pulling them up a little. He looked at him with a frown and confusion, but what Tanjirou was noticing was something else; not a single grimace of pain. Such an open posture would make anyone suffer. His elasticity was there, perfectly.

"What the hell are you doing, Gonpachiro?"

The blond didn't want to look, he was about to run away, thinking about the dirtiest thing he could think of and cursing the fact that the demon wore nothing but a fur skirt and a white cloth inside. It would not be the first time that he saw certain... things. Among the three they had already witnessed everything thanks to some thermal baths, especially in the Wisteria houses. It was nothing new, but neither was he going to set his sights on a voluntary basis. How awful.

"Tanjirou, God, cover him!" he screeched.

"Cover him?" and it was that the redhead had not realized the misunderstanding of the situation. Nor did it matter so much. Not until, posing his reddish gaze, the heat rose to his face, and a small part of it went down to other areas. It turned into the cheeks of a strong crimson and slammed the other's legs shut. "Sorry!"

The wild boy understood nothing.

"Hah? You're both weird. Are you right in the head?" did not understand what those reactions were coming from. Was there something wrong, perhaps? It didn't seem like it, otherwise Tanjirou would have worried instead of being like that.

"Spoke..." Zenitsu whispered so that he was not heard.

"Oh, no. Nothing happens." The redhead boy sighed calmly, not realizing that he still had his hands on the thighs of the other man, although closed. "I was testing to see if you maintained flexibility. It's good to see that yes." smiled sweetly, causing joyous and uncomfortable jumps in the heart of the demon, who turned his pupils aside. The swordsman took the opportunity to trying bring a sudden hit to his cheek. Tanjirou was not planning punch him. If he did not withdraw, would stop sooner. Watched, pleased, as Inosuke dodged and looked at him with an angry grimace.

"What the fuck, Tanketsu?!" he kicked him in the chest with the sole of the foot. An attack nothing effective that only caused a slight laugh in the attacked.

"Relax, I wasn't going to really hit you." explained briefly. "Your reflexes and reaction speed are the same. So we have fewer things to work on." listened, without erasing his warm smile, as the other young man clicked his tongue.

"Careful with what you do. I only need a knee or an elbow to kill you." and he was right. Those horn-shaped bones required no force to stab someone. Contrary to what he wanted, he made the redhead laugh.

"I already knew you took that into account." remembered even when he nailed him the elbow bone in the fight he had with Nezuko. Did not much like to remember. That hit did not give him, luckily, in any dangerous area. He could have really killed him.

Inosuke, hearing their response, was flattered. His pride rose, transforming her annoyed expression into a haughty and content one.

"Of course! I wouldn't ignore something like that. It's because I'm great." He sat down and crossed his arms, satisfied.

"Yes, you are." and Tanjirou did nothing but happily encourage him.

"Ah... Here we go again..." the blond boy was tired of his comrade' self-centeredness, and of the flattery the redhead was doing him from behind. They made him nauseous.

They finished shortly afterwards to go to their respective rooms and sleep. Tanjirou wanted to accompany the demon to his, and he did not refuse. There was a silence too strange for the redhead. Tried to make conversation, but it didn't work. Inosuke replied dryly and too briefly. Something was wrong. He was overly thoughtful, and the young wild was not what they thought. He smelled of helplessness. Imagined he was repeating the same situation as when his throat was broken. He was starting to fall into another depression because of his obsession with being strong. Could deduce it thanks to the time had known him. The swordsman closed the door after entering. Sat down on the edge of the bed, next to each other, who got rid of the boar's head and reluctantly left it on top of the nearest piece of furniture. He had disheveled up a bit, but Tanjirou took care of it, running his fingers through the dark strands.

"You know you can trust me, I will listen to everything you have to say. Don't shut it up..." advised in a soft tone, slightly worried, but encouraging.

"Sorry for being weak..." that phrase had heard a long time ago. It was exactly the same problem.

"Inosuke, you are not weak. It's just a couple of your abilities have decreased because you couldn't move. That's not your level of truth. The reality is another; You are the strongest person I have ever known who does not need weapons to fight." was not answered, which did not know if it was good or bad. Couldn't know what was going through the demon's head. He watched him with his heterochromatic eyes, illuminated by the bluish glow that filtered through the half-closed window. "This happened to you before, and you were much worse than now. You can do this and much more." took his pale hands in hims, expressing all the support had for him. Much to his regret, he didn't force the wild boy to continue looking at him. He had cocked his dark head to hide his emotional weakness in the face of the situation. He hated feeling like this, knew him, so didn't want to force him. "Being sad is not bad, Inosuke. It means that you have feelings and that you are strong enough to endure them and carry on." It seemed to turn on a light in the bluish-hair head. A small flame of hope that made him look again at those reddish eyes that sent so much love to him.

"For real?" He sounded mildly excited, incredulous, if a little suspicious. He watched the swordsman nod with implacable determination. The firm and determined gesture was enough to fully believe him. A wide and smiling smile was converting his expression to one so beautiful, so pretty. Surely he had put that face a million times, but because of the mask, no one could ever see him. It was a real shame that he disliked his face precisely because it was beautiful.

"Yes, I would never lie. And if I do, I'm very easy to discover. I can't lie without making a face of pain." let out a slight laugh that further fueled the flame of happiness in the other boy.

"I would pay a lot of acorns to see that face."

His occurrence caused the intensity of the redhead's laughter to rise, but it was somewhat controlled by how late it was.

"To see if there is luck and you will see it someday."

As the soft laughter subsided, the young savage remained silent. Until the laugh stopped and Inosuke decided to speak again.

"Monjiro." he called his attention.

"Yeah?" rubbed a tiny tear from his left eye with suppressed laughter.

"Kiss me."

Tanjirou stared at him for a few seconds, blinking and analyzing the word. Still did not understand that Inosuke himself, always oblivious to intimate feelings, so innocent and so childish, said that kind of thing. But it was not unpleasant at all. It meant that he was learning, expanding his experience as a real person, opening his world. The smile gave him filled the air with sweetness, but not as much as the demon's. Every time they tightened their ties, he gave off a very sweet scent. Could smell it many times before; in the villages, on the streets, in his own house. The smell of young and old couples, the smell of their own parents between them. The smell of love. It calmed his heart so much to perceive it, know the boy was showing him was genuine and sincere. With pleasure, complied with his request, gently placing his lips on the others. Provided several of them, slow and full with love, giving a tenderness and tranquility that forced the demon to embrace him in the meantime, passing his arms over the larger shoulders and surrounding his neck. The redhead responded in a similar way, pulling him closer to the back and the nape of his neck, delicately hooking part of his bluish hair.

Little by little, without any rush, the millions of award-winning kisses ended up culminating in one, hot, passionate, wet. A war had broken out between them that made the blood flow faster, spreading powerful colors on the skins on their faces. Tanjirou felt dizzy from the intense enjoyment of lust. Although it was not he who was adding it. Inosuke, unaware of what he was doing, was adding dangerous and provocative sensuality. Tanjirou didn't know where he had learned that from, or if it simply came from him as a virtue. Considering the null experience of the demon, the second option was correct. The faint splashing sounds of their fighting tongues ignited with great risk their most primitive desires. One knew what those sensations meant, while the other had no idea and just let himself go, without knowing what he was exposing himself to. They both felt new tickles. They weren't unpleasant, but it made them feel anxious and desperate for more. Little by little, the redhead lost the senses, and gradually heeding his instincts, gradually threw his weight on the other boy, forcing him to put his legs on the bed and abandon the sitting posture. His pale back leaned against the headboard, staying comfortable and not breaking contact. There was no problem with their breaths, they accompanied them at the appropriate times and they did not have to separate. But Inosuke did it for a moment, not seeing that shiny translucent thread dangling from both lips. It easily broke.

"Kenjiro, do something..." It almost could have seemed like he was begging if it hadn't been for that angry and puckered expression.

"What?" called out in a hoarse whisper of which he was ashamed himself, further increasing the color of his cheeks. Didn't understand what the boy was referring to, causing him to become more upset.

"Do something, I don't know what. But I feel anxious and desperate!" He raised his voice a little, making use of his aggressive and ragged tone, the one that imposed so much, normally used behind the mask. It was so difficult to attribute a sound like that with a face like his... His null explanation did not make Tanjirou understand, so he had to use his head, remaining silent. "Argh, fuck!" He devoured the lips of the other boy again, could not stay apart for long, he needed. And it was pleasantly reciprocated, recovering the previous level, so intense and hot.

As he plunged into sensuality once more, the redhead continued to ponder the demon's confused request. It was only a few seconds to finish making sure what was the mystery he wanted. He said he felt anxious and desperate about something, which led him to think that those lewd kisses were too little for him. The same thing happened to him, and that meant only one thing. Despite the growl of disagreement he gave him, left Inosuke's mouth and proceeded to pay attention to his pale neck. Remembered saying that would not perform that particular act again until he asked. And he just asked him. Not directly or knowingly, but he did. Sucked on his skin, causing a new sound in the young wild, who was immediately shocked to lose control of his actions and tried to avoid it.

"I told you not..." He held his breath and closed the eyes tight against the licks that covered him. "I don't..." He tried to finish saying it so that he would listen to him and stop. "Like it..." His voice gave up with the last words, letting out in a sigh. He was lying, had just been aware. He liked it, was calming that anxiety a little. What he didn't understand was why the first time he didn't like it. Ah, he remembered, because felt weak. But no longer had to, Tanjirou had made it clear to him that in one way or another, he was the strongest, regardless of whether he thought otherwise of himself with some situations that eluded him. Although he was concerned about generating such strange noises, he tried to silence. But it was impossible, not only because of the mischievous lips and teeth that played on the surface of his neck as if it were his house, but because of the rough, but gentle, hands that ran from his pecs to his belly and waist, increasing the chills of ironic heat. Brought his fist to his mouth and bit into it in a vague attempt to drown out the sounds a little. He bled, his fangs were too big and sharp, but didn't care. His narrowed eyes glittered, watching a sparkling, colorful void. His other hand continued behind the reddish head, clutching strands to relax his body as best he could.

Tanjirou perceived each of his aromas. The previous sweetness mixed with a very spicy and attractive one. Hadn't smelled that on anyone before, and thought he knew why. It could be attributed to sexual arousal. Was very proud to have caused such a thing in Inosuke. Burn him in that fiery way, just as his own sword bathed in blazing flames when he used it. Was doing the same to him in a much more humane way. The negative of it was that he was also burning, but had to endure. Could not launch himself fully or could offend him, or even hurt him. Little by little, descended on the smooth and sensitive surface of the demon, who sometimes wriggled a little along with some forced whining. Kissed, licked and nibbled everything in his path. Began toying with the apex of one of his flat pecs, causing a sudden spasm and a gasp. It was a good sign. Continued his work, gently abusing that peach candy while pinching, pressing, and rubbing the only free one. He knew that the wild boy was trying to silence himself by biting, but it was already useless. The volume had risen and resisting was a futile act. He looked so small compared to him because of the natural growth of teenagers. A growth he did not have the certainty of knowing Inosuke would have in his life. Although, for the moment, it was something without importance. It didn't matter to him if he was the same size or different. Just wanted to love him, care for him, enjoy who he was. The caresses had become so sweet that they spread contrary to an almost heavenly calm, letting out all kinds of beautiful and velvety sounds without pressure. They were not his own, so light. But Tanjirou loved it. Wished could hear him speak, too, with that softness in his voice, without having to imitate that of a rude and aggressive man. He must have sounded so beautiful...

They were both in a cloud of cotton that seemed to float them in infinite glee. His inveterate mouth continued downward, and her hands gripped the edge of that animal fur skirt. Had no trouble pulling it out along with the white cloth, Inosuke was not shy about his body, Mother Earth had given him a very natural view of the bodies of every living being, a view that did not need to be hidden for any reason because he considered silly. He only dressed to protect his most delicate areas from the most extreme cold or heat. And in the case of the slayer's pants, before being a demon, only by regulation. Tanjirou liked the boy's open attitude about it, he was not scared of anything. The young wild did not understand well the reason why his only two clothes were removed, but he was not going to stop and think about it, he did not care. Although he began to feel tense the further down the redhead. Uncomfortable, but anxious. He didn't know how to react. Then he saw his own intimacy, opening the eyes wide. Why was it up high? And why did it look bigger? He did not understand what the hell had happened down there, only that it was palpitating, slightly painful and rigid.

"What the fuck are you going to-? Hah?!" the last moan had a slight doubtful tone when noticing how the bigger hand took it. Without pressing, quite the contrary. The reflected beats increased, though, sending electrical currents through his belly, through his chest. He gripped the sheets tightly, wrinkling them between his claws. His legs began to stiffen together, motionless as stones, and her toes curled. "Ahh... Why-what?... Mmh!" wanted to ask why he was doing this to him, what he was looking for, but couldn't say too many things at once. And he wasn't disliking it either, quite the contrary. He wanted more for some reason, he know it, only was not going to say it out loud. Threw his black head back for a moment as he felt that hard hand move around, gently rising and falling and occasionally rubbing the pink, sensitive tip with the thumb. Unconsciously, his hip began to make very slight undulating movements, also changing the objective of his grip, which was now his partner's red hair, tousling it and causing random strands to fall on the scarred forehead. He was dying mentally in the veils of pleasure, drawing countless sonorous expressions from his throat to match his reddened, sweaty, lewd face.

And Tanjirou was only rejoicing at the full views. Still touching him, returned to put his lips to work on the skin of the other, taking his salty taste and sweet and spicy aroma. Was driving the demon crazy, was aware. If not, he wouldn't be letting out all kinds of tones and noises, moans and grunts, slight screams and sighs. And it was he who caused it, was so proud to be doing it right, to follow his instincts so as not to be wrong in a bad move. Sometimes letting wildness loose was the best option. Moved closer to his ear, leaving a trail of kisses. Bit his ear very gently and licked it a little, eliciting yet another moan.

"Inosuke..." whispered, wanting to increase the temperature more. They were both really beside themselves. Increased the speed of his hand, causing more strain on the other body. The sensations gave him forced to close his heterochromatic eyes for the first time in all the time. It only intensified his already sensitive sense of touch. "You smell so sweet..." could notice under his fingers and palm the reflections of the racing heart of the young wild, was very close. Was also able to find out because gradually his pale legs were spreading a little wider. Kissed him again, not hesitating to introduce the tongue and return to a battle of power. This time, was going to cheat. The opposite hand massaged the perineum. It only took him to descend an inch or two and touch a delicate opening that forced Inosuke to jump on the spot, breaking the kiss and losing before that assault.

"Hey!... That i-is not a place for...! Don't touch!" that was already too uncomfortable. He did not understand why Tanjirou was playing there, if that was useless and, according to him, did not give any pleasure. Immediately, he slammed the legs shut, preventing him from brushing against anything else. Luckily, the redhead boy understood perfectly and pushed that evil hand away.

"Sorry, I rushed." It seemed that the young wild boy was not yet ready for that great step. Could smell a lot of unease on him because of that. Instead, was going to compensate him. Lowered his lips again, leaving a trail of bites and purple marks on his abdomen. Stopped at the level of the pelvis and watched from below that face oscillating between curiosity, desire and lust. Without warning, began to lick the pink cusp, still working with his hand. The intense gasp could have been heard in the next room, could see how the demon had thrown his head back and was going back to straighten it, with tiny tears peeking from his bright eyes.

"T-That's not ea-ten... stupid..." shaked with every contraction that went up. It drove him crazy that Tanjirou do that. He didn't care as long as the slayer didn't give him a bite. It felt like flying. Imprisoned in the swordsman's hot and humid mouth, letting himself be won by his hyperactive tongue and his lips that rose and fell, accompanying that hand. Hisbreathing became more and more erratic, racing. Surely, Tanjirou could sense his pounding heartbeat through what he considered a delicacy. The stiffness was present in an inexperienced body. He freaked out with the feeling that he was going to explode any minute soon. He didn't want to die of a self-caused explosion, it would be embarrassing. "Stop! I-I'm going to explode!" He was trying to make the redhead see how serious the situation was. Contrary to what he thought, could only stifle a scream when the swordsman did what he did not want him to do; go faster. He began to sob, not out of fear, if the boy continued it was because he was going to be fine, but because of the excessive pleasure that filled all his senses. He no longer knew how to react to vent it, moaning, screaming, laughing, or crying. Had no idea, so let his nature choose, and he was crying and groaning at the same time. He gave a powerful scream, laden with the greatest lust. He had exploded. A powerful electric current accompanied by a strong contraction went up his belly again, through his chest and culminated in his head with thousands of sparkling flashes that clouded all his judgment, at the same time filling the opposite mouth without realizing it. His muscles relaxed suddenly and he fell to a dead weight, still leaning against the headboard. He was breathing badly, with difficulty. Couldn't be fully aware of his surroundings.

Tanjirou did not move away when all this happened. Preferred to take it and swallow at once rather than clean up a possible mess. Sat up and looked at the demon exhausted and without strength. Approached him and he straightened the dark head, which had him on one side. He opened his damp, shiny eyes, fixing them on the reddish ones. Without waiting for anything else, Tanjirou kissed him with his own unique sweetness. When they broke the kiss, the redhead made sure that the wild boy had fallen asleep. Smiled full of tenderness and conformity. Settled the smallest body in bed and stood up. He had a big problem that he couldn't solve. But he was not going to be martyred, it was nothing that a time in the bathroom could not fix.

After a few minutes, he returned satisfied and calm to the room. Noticed the difference in atmosphere. It was too hot in there. It was normal, the window could not be opened and the door had to be kept closed for Inosuke's safety. His solution was to undress, that night would sleep with him. Letting him wake up alone after what they had done could make him feel terrible. Besides, wanted to hug him and not separate anymore. Once in the same condition as the demon, he got into bed behind him and covered both with a thin and fresh sheet up to under the arms. Moved over the opposite waist and left his hand dangling there, brushing that smooth belly. He drew him, completely sticking his pale back to his own chest and torso. Wasn't bothered by the wild man's scattered hair, could breathe in the scent of pine and forest. Planted a soft kiss between his neck and shoulder, giving him good night.

He could confirm it with certainty; was hopelessly in love and he wasn't going to let him go.


	18. The blood is not enough

In that room it was slightly difficult to know if the dawn had bathed the place or not, the window of closed curtains filtered only a thread of light, enough not to blindly tempt. Tanjirou had spent one of the most relaxed and peaceful nights in a long time, comfortable. It had been very restful, without having moved an inch. Instead, Inosuke had been spinning thousands of times, wrinkling, rolling and unsettling the sheets. It was not for something special, it was an unconscious habit to move while sleeping. If he stirred like crazy it meant that he was enjoying the dream deeply, on the loose. He ended up uncovering both of them a little, making the sheet fit just above the hips on both of them. He had turned around, facing the redhead, and had passed a leg over him, like an arm, hooking like a koala to a branch. They were glued, skin to skin, there was no front area that was free from touching the opposite. The larger hand had not left that pale waist all night despite the constant movements. A pair of eyes widened, trying to focus between the blur and haze of newly activated pupils. They blinked slowly and froze, pinned to that sleeping face covered in unruly strands of red, as if someone had tousled them by force. His mind was still half void. He closed his heavy lashed eyelids again and snuggled in, hiding his head slightly under the opposite chin. It wasn't because he wanted to feel protected, never. It was because he gave off a pleasant heat that filled his senses of well-being, and obviously, he would take advantage of everything that was pleasant. Immediately, he fell back into the clutches of sleep, imprisoned by the warmth that the darker-skinned body gave off.

The hours passed and the morning was making its way. It was the swordsman's turn to emerge from the glorious and calm trance. He visualized the top of an angel's head, just below his chin. Felt that light breath crash against his chest, giving him little tickles on his skin. He was grateful that they still wanted to keep the demon on the estate day and night because of his condition. Kissed his head and left the lips there for a while, inhaling the fresh scent of nature. He slid the hand he planted over the other's waist down to his lower back and pressed it closer to him, if possible. He seemed so small. And was not mistaken. Inosuke was perfectly capable of getting his muscles back, but compared to his, would no longer be similar or more noticeable, he would continue to be tiny next to him. Was sure that when it happened, he would get a tantrum and start hitting him and throwing random objects at him. Smiled a funny smile when he imagined him so comically angry. He felt complete, his soul and heart did not long for anything, they were fulfilled and satisfied, could die right there and would not care, he had already achieved maximum happiness, what was most desired in life on a personal level. Rubbed his back with an affection worthy of the most perfect lover. Loved to touch him, no matter the way. He was convinced that they were predestined to meet. No one else was in that abandoned demon of drumbs house. Only him, as if he had been waiting for the presence of Tanjirou. And contrary to what he believed would happen, Inosuke did not go his own way, but followed him with a notorious obsession to get his attention and fight. So much so that the simple fact of asking Zenitsu that time what futon he preferred, pissed off the wild man greatly when he found himself in the midst of an attack of jealousy. He ended up throwing a pillow at the blond without blaming him for anything, just to get the redhead's attention before him. Now that she thought about it, there were signs from the beginning and he hadn't caught them. Felt a little idiotic.

Only a few more minutes to be hunted in the wild by those colorful and crystalline eyes. Red heat rose to his cheeks, caught in a slight embarrassing modesty. Stopped exerting force on his paler lower back, allowing their bodies to separate at a more decent distance. His head came out of the wonderful trance of love and his common sense was reactivated, realizing how gravely intimate the situation was, and above all, that of the previous night. How had he gotten carried away like this? At what point did he acquire such passionate behavior? Was confused, excited and embarrassed. It was not for less, his experience was poor, he was only 15 years old, and his way of being left no room for desires, much less carnal. But it was done, and it didn't really seem bad to him. He didn't regret it that much, to say the least.

"Gonpachiro?..." That strangely calm and relaxed tone activated the redhead's alarms.

"Y-yes?..."

Silence, rainbow and emerald against powerful flames.

"I KILL YOU!" he screeched, as red as the other, or even more. It took barely a thousandth of a second to straddle him to begin hitting him with all his might.

"Sorry!" and the swordsman covered himself with his arms, without receiving any type of damage thanks to the little strength of the other.

"I TOLD-YOU-THAT-IS-NOT-EATEN!" he shouted, pausing between each word to insert a hit. "DIRTY, DIRTY!"

Tanjirou suddenly stopped his assaults simply by taking his wrists up in the air. But he continued to be attacked by the aggressiveness of that scowl and full of other boy's shame. He was not in a better condition.

"I already said I'm sorry! You-...!"He got much more nervous. "You seemed to like it and I-!"

"LIE!" he screeched very close to his face, almost bursting his eardrums. "L-lie..." it wasn't. "WAS TERRIBLE!"

And the redhead knew it, was aware that Inosuke was not being honest. He didn't even need to smell anything, it was too obvious. But made as if he believed him, putting into action his typical and ephemeral plan to get him to confess for himself. Sighed loudly.

"Okay... I won't do it again if it's so horrible."

Something seemed to creak inside the demon, who withdrew his annoyed expression and was left static, blocked under the slightly tricky reddish eyes.

"No!" a second after listening... "I mean, yes!" or maybe... "AAAAHHHH, STUPID MONJIRO!" He tried to wriggle out of the grasp.

"Just relax. There's no need to lie... Any opinion is fine, it's just that." His calm voice seemed to have its effect on the other's wild behavior. Heard him growl with indecision and annoyance before anything else. Was surprised when, by loosening his wrists, Inosuke only took the opportunity to cover his reddish eyes with the hands. "Inosuke, what are you doing?" He received no reply, but could hear the irregular breathing of the other kid, smell his unease. The demon held his posture, releasing the facial muscles from his face and leaving a shy grimace that no one could witness.

"You did a very strange thing..." He cocked the head instinctively. "But it felt... good..." They both felt their hearts race as if they had been wound. The redhead could feel the tension in the pale thighs tightening around his own waist. "I don't care if you do it again at another time. But I also want to, and I will do better than you!" He released Tanjirou's stunned eyes early enough so that he could witness the savage sink and disappear under the sheet, leaving the redhead in a confused state.

"Where are you going, Ino-? closed the mouth, stifling an exclamation and holding the breath. The red of his cheeks increased as his body heat, bathed in a wave of wellness mixed with lava. Inosuke was... Took the edge of the sheet with his trembling hand and lifted it slowly, as if afraid to see inside. Locked gazes with those bright eyes that had lifted in his direction as one of his pale hands supported that thing, small for now. The fingertips of each other stroked the length, tempting the blood to take an exciting and speedy journey. "Oh god..." muttered to himself, as if he couldn't believe that the situation was happening again, but with roles exchanged. A small part of him was afraid. Looked up at the ceiling, trying to dispel the fear. Fear for... "Ouch, Inosuke, the fangs!" very contrary to what expected, heard a funny laugh crash and vibrate against his already wet intimacy. Bit his own lower lip and dropped the head onto the pillow, releasing all the air. He had given in, and it didn't seem just because of the heat. He felt comfortable, the shame had less and less place with the other boy, although had slight nervous peaks, like the previous one. He wasn't crazy about accepting all that daily routine, would even like it to become one. He hadn't lost his mind, he... had found the other half of his heart. No matter what kinds of things were done between them, he felt at home. And hoped and wished the same for the demon, who had impressively copied and improved his rookie technique. Sucked in the air through the gaps in his teeth, tensing the torso and closing the eyes with some force. Reveled too much, the pleasure it brought him was inhuman. Could feel that tongue dancing freely on any sensitive surface, his soft lips pressing and sucking. He seemed to be amused by what he was doing, as if it were a game against his erect and hardened intimate part. Let out a sigh just before snapped the eyes open and placed a hand on the wild boy's head above the sheet. "Inosuke." called in a whisper, but firmly and decisively. That tone caught the demon's attention, causing him to stop dead in his tracks and peek out a bit, raising his face to the redhead's muscular belly. They both looked at each other in silence.

Tanjirou smelled, Inosuke felt on his skin. The second kid managed to dive headfirst onto the floor behind the bed, and the swordsman sat eagerly piling up the sheet in his crotch to make a disguised lump of cloth just as the door opened with a violent impact.

Not a movement, not a noise.

The demon slowly peeked its eyes over the edge of the mattress, watching along with the redhead's shocked gaze at Zenitsu standing at the door. His eyes hidden under his golden bangs seemed to spark, as did the rest of his tense and visually aggressive body.

"Oh shit." Inosuke whispered with bright eyes. "He looks damn cool." He liked it when he saw that side of the blond, admired him, excited him. With his body in other circumstances he would have loved to start fighting with him, compare forces and have fun with hits. But I was aware that if I tried something, a simple movement would end up in tatters. It pissed him off greatly, so his good humor vanished through a deep growl.

"G-good morning, Zenit-..."

"Tanjirou..." that voice from beyond the grave generated intense chills in their bodies, forcing them to remain in a terrifying silence. Inosuke squatted slightly, hiding his face a little more behind the mattress. The redhead was only able to suffer a slight sudden tremor, sweating cold. "Do you remember... what I told you a long time ago, dude?" spat the last word with excessive disdain. The boy with the scar did not know exactly what he was referring to, although he made the attempt. But before he could vocalize a syllable, he was interrupted. "I told you... I DIDN'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOUR RUBS!"

Tremors, blows and slight explosions shook the entire land of the estate, accompanied by all kinds of screams from only three voices. Disaster had broken out.

They didn't know how long an electrical hell had hung over them, they couldn't even calm for the next five minutes after finishing up and watching the blond come out fuming over his sparkling body. Tanjirou had been imprisoned in a chrysalis of sheets that could not be disentangled, with his hot hair matted and expelling fumes. Had been turned face down in a false attempt so that, as the minutes passed, he was drowning against the pillow. And Inosuke... what to say about him? He was barely brushed or touched, and that was enough for him to end up mentally as dusty as the redhead.

_Zenitsu had finished capturing the poor swordsman of flame and water violently, leaving him immobilized. The demon, still in his semi-hidden position behind the bed, watched with wide eyes as the lightning monster covered him with his terrifying and huge shadow as leaned on the bed to approach, face to face. His brilliant golden eyes pierced him like sharp, newly forged swords._

_"And as for you..." roared, arousing emotion contained in the other boy, which, ironically, angered him for not being able to correspond with the desire to fight. His split pupils ran through every visible part of the wild kid, which luckily was just clavicle up. His lip trembled, as did his aggressive determination. Closed theeyes tightly, defeated. "I can't hit someone who looks like a beautiful girl, it's like hitting a real one! I can't! I CAN'T! "Without the old boar mask and without those muscles, it was impossible for Zenitsu to touch him._

_And he fled, having inadvertently attacked Inosuke in a deadly way, but not physically._

"I think…" Tanjirou's muffled, padded voice broke the silence. "We should have tried to be more subtle last night." was not answered. He knew the emotional impact Inosuke had received, he heard it perfectly. "Can you turn me around? I find it difficult to breathe." I could do it, but it only inspired the same hot air that it expelled. Was relieved when heard movement and felt the mattress sink to his right side. Was turned to face up and inhaled with pleasure. "Thank you." Without having to ask for it, the demon pulled him out of his restraints with violent and pissed off jerks. Admitted that some hurt him.

Rubbed the pale back of his recent partner, expressing his support and understanding. Both sitting cross-legged and with their yukatas already on. His heterochromatic gaze stared angrily at the sheet and its owner was flushed with anger, his body erupting like an active volcano. And the redhead had to disable it somehow.

"Don't take it seriously, Zenitsu surely didn't sleep. That can easily affect everything he think and say." His response was a growl, which made him smile for being adorable. Suddenly a fantastic idea occurred to him, and he was going to put it into practice. "I know you don't like to analyze much and all that, you are more than acting. But you have a very powerful weapon and you haven't realized it yet." That completely captured the demon's attention, causing him to abandon his annoyed grimace and look at him curiously. "Didn't you see how Zenitsu was willing to hit you and couldn't do it? You believe that your face is a weakness, but I think it's an element can disarm anyone in less than a second. Can't you see it?" watched him raise an eyebrow. "When someone goes after you and sees your face, they are petrified. And you can pounce and win at that moment. Do you remember what happened to me when I met you too?"

What Tanjirou said made sense. He was a little reluctant to accept his appearance as a good thing, but now that he viewed it from a strategic battle perspective... It was the perfect weapon to distract and break the guard of the enemy. It was infallible! And he was all the time hiding the strongest possible weapon he possessed. What an idiot! His irises began to glow, as if he had seen the light at the end of a dark tunnel.

"Fuck, yes! How could you not tell me before, Gonpachiro?!" he shook him by the yukata's neck. "You should have warned me before!"

"I remembered now, sorry." let out a hearty laugh as he stopped being shaken and received a surprise kiss, strong and direct, although short. The heat rose to his face, watching the smile of decision and happiness of the wild boy. Only with that expression could he know how much he appreciated it. Returned the gesture, just as durable, but softer and more loving. "I'll go get breakfast, okay? Wait for me here." saw him nod, satisfied. "I know that meat is not as useful as demons, but it works for a couple of hours, at least."

Left the room and went to look for Aoi to see if he had the breakfasts ready and take his own. He found her at the kitchen doors, precisely with two trays. Stopped in front of her and gently snatched them away.

"Can I take it?" gave her a nice smile that prevented the young woman from complaining. Although... she seemed upset or affected by something. He smelled of indecision and helplessness, which made Tanjirou put on something more serious. "Something wrong?" He was not pleased when the scent of anxiety increased.

"I'm sorry, Tanjirou…" She dropped her thin shoulders, depressed.

"B-but why? "he was really worried. "I don't understand."

"Nezuko's medicine... doesn't ... It doesn't work."

It was a huge bucket of ice water for the swordsman, who felt his heartbeat stop for a few moments.

"But... Miss Tamayo said it was... And Nezuko took it while Muzan was here! It's supposed to be normal that it has not yet taken effect as it is so delicate, I think... I don't know..." He tried by all means to seek a positive and logical explanation. "Just... Just wait a little longer." his smile was nervous, fearful. An awkward smile that faded as he witnessed her shaking her head.

"It wasn't finished. We all believed yes, the demon woman too. But..."

Something was missing. Something that only Tamayo and Shinobu could know. And they were killed, erased from the map along with their knowledge of medicine. Fate must hate him deeply.

"I understand..." was looking at the trays, trying not to explode.

"I don't know if it will work, but those of us who are staying are doing everything possible to study this medicine well."

"It's more than enough, thank you very much for not leaving." only a hint of tranquility appeared, so small.

It was barely 10 minutes and he returned with two trays, one in each hand. It was the demon who opened the door to hear him arrive. It didn't take long for him to grab the one containing only meat, sit on the mattress and start devouring like a hungry animal, unaware of the strange silence with which the other had entered. The latter sat next to him and proceeded to take his own, without saying a word.

"I'll go see Nezuko later." he reported without a particular tone, not realizing how the wild's jaw had closed with excessive force of blow when listening to him. "I'll have to leave you alone for a while. You don't mind, do you?"

"No." The grumpy way he spat it out made Tanjirou know it was just the opposite.

"Inosuke." He set the tray aside and turned slightly toward the demon, serious. "You can't be angry every time I go to see her. It's not as if I abandoned you."

"Hah?! Who is angry?" He pointed an accusing finger at him. He wasn't really blaming Tanjirou for being upset, didn't even realize it yet. To his surprise, the redhead lowered his finger with some unnecessary firmness.

"You're upset, I can smell it on you. I'm just saying that-"

"I'm not upset!" he roared, then shoved more food into his mouth. "Good! Ok! And that?!" He didn't like to be left alone, regardless of the reason.

"You have to understand that I don't want to leave her alone either, she's my sister." It pained him that the demon did not yet understand those kinds of ties in front of others, and that turned him on more without wanting to.

"She has Monitsu! Sheis not alone!"

"But Zenitsu can't give her what I do! We are direct family, Inosuke!" the only one left.

And that was only an excuse for the wild, who had already lost the papers.

"THE FAMILY IS NOT JUST BLOOD, TANJIROU!" He sprang to his feet, knocking over the empty tray and making a noise out of scandal. Left the redhead speechless for a few seconds because of what had come out of his mouth, including his name, and the hurt way in which he pronounced everything. Considered that the swordsman was being an idiot, for him he was belittling his own family, even if they were wild boars. Or the ties he forged with Shinobu or the old woman in the House of Wisteria. "NOT EVERYBODY HAS GROWED WITH A BLOOD FAMILY MEMBER! MANY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY FUCKING EXPLANATION FOR YEARS OF WHY WE DON'T HAVE THEM!" he approached him with an icy but scorching gaze. An ice that burned everything it touched. He gripped the other's yukata with the fist, pulling him closer. "DON'T SAY ME THAT ONLY YOU CAN MAKE HER COMFORTABLE JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE SAME BLOOD! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT FEELS NOT TO HAVE THAT LINK BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS HAVE YOUR STUPID SISTER NEXT DOOR!"

There was a brief period in which their eyes seemed to penetrate each other, hard, firm and with veins boiling. Tanjirou rose without haste, raising the body until he was completely on the feet and far exceeding the size and height of the other boy, generating a backlit shadow that covered Inosuke. He felt for the first time that the difference between the two was monumental, his eyesight was jeopardizing and it was making him look smaller than he really was. But he did not hesitate at any time. He shifted the eyes, breaking the contact, towards the hand of the redhead who had landed on his fist. The soft touch forced him to release the yukata, and once released, the swordsman lowered his paler hand. Tanjirou stepped around the wild kid, without looking at him, and walked out the door with terrifying tranquility and overwhelming silence. The demon heard the latch close behind him, abandoned in a continuous gloom by those curtains that blocked the light.

His chest was tight, his eyes stung. But he was fine, he was aware that it had only been an argument. It wasn't the end... was it? He wanted to believe in it. Took a deep breath, trying to calm down. If allowed himself to be carried away by anger, his power could cause a catastrophe, both for himself and for his weakness. He dropped onto the bed and wrinkled the sheets a bit. What was he going to do alone now? He couldn't go outside, and inside the building wasn't allowed to make a fuss or blow off steam the way he liked. He was mortally held, with the aftertaste of meat in his mouth. Maybe it wasn't what he preferred to do the most, but walking would calm him down. And he didn't need to step outside.

How many hours had he been there, waiting? He sighed heavily and angrily disposed of the yukata to put on his coats. He wasn't going to stretch his boar's head to cover his eyes, he wasn't going to go very far either. Ah, he was lying to himself. He really did it because he wanted to show off his most powerful weapon for the first time, feeling proud in order to be beautiful. Tanjirou performed an impossible miracle.

He carefully walked the corridors, avoiding areas where the sun's rays hit the floor or walls. Its light was orange, it was getting dark. He had spent most of the day alone... Maybe he was too aggressive towards the redhead... And possibly had hurt him. Pressed his lips in anguish. On his walk, he stopped in front of a door. I knew what it was. He watched his sideways, noticing the nausea rising from the stomach to his pressed throat. Very hesitantly in the head, slowly opened the latch and entered just a couple of steps. He looked around at everything. The walls full of formulas, papers and images of the human body. A desk full of reports and other sheets that he did not know what they were. Shelves flooded with spices, plants, liquids... An empty chair and a stool. Shinobu's office had not changed. Without realizing it, he had entered until was in front of the chair. Letting go of his emotions, his legs buckled until he sat on the stool, still looking at the larger seat. Could feel it, but he hardly paid attention to the tickle of the tears on his cheeks. How could Tanjirou hint that blood ties were more important than others? He was cruel... Shinobu never had anything to do with him, and he loved her as much as he could have loved his birth mother.

"You weren't..." His breath started short as soon as he began to murmur. "... who taught me Pinkie Promise..." he trembled slightly, blurring the sight. "But it's the same. For me you were always... like my..." he couldn't continue, it was too much. He covered his face with the hands and cringed, letting the sadness of his loss flow. With everything that had happened, he did not have time to do it, to allow his regret for her absence. "What can I do?..." He waited, in vain, for the image of the woman to appear, sitting across from him, and lovingly advising him.

He was unable to stay longer. Got up in a hurry, ignoring the surroundings. As he came out, bumped into something big, hard, but warm. He lifted the wet, reddened face, meeting an intimidating, dark gaze from the front.

"What are you looking at?!" he yelled at the tallest. Knew who he was, had seen him before. Genna? Guma? He did not remember. Watched strangely as the other turned his head, avoiding eye contact, and suffering a stupidly intense blush on his scarred face.

"Nothing." Genya didn't expect to find him like that. He still had a hard time witnessing his girly normal appearance. Having him with such a sensitive and delicate image was much worse. He swallowed hard, not knowing exactly what to do. Didn't want to be a cocoon, so he made a slight attempt. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying, idiot!" Ironically, he was doing it while yelling at him.

Well, maybe the biggest one didn't make a good initial move. He felt cornered by the situation. Had no idea what to say, these things never happened to Genya. Quite contrary to what he expected to happen, Inosuke grabbed him tightly and hugged him, sinking his face into the middle of the opposite torso. He took the air out of him, not because of the zero pressure, but because of the shock of shame and the explosion of blush of which he was a victim. Was petrified, but he could come to his senses listening to the demon's sobs. Bit his tongue, and awkwardly covered him with the arms, trying to make him feel better. Hardly knew him very much, although that should not be an impediment to being a good person with him.

Little by little, the tension in the wild boy's body disappeared, as did the intensity of his tears. Genya put a hand on the boar's head reflexively when he parted.

"Better?" breathed calmly when he saw him nod. "I'm sorry for that. For whatever you were like this." but he already seemed fine. He looked like he just needed an outlet.

"If you tell someone..." He rubbed the eyes. Despite everything, his threatening attitude was still there, lurking.

"I won't tell anyone. I also don't want it to be known." it would make him spend a monumental shame. "Anyway, I was looking for you." he nailed the sharp pupils into the multi-colored eyes. It didn't last long, the heat was building up again. "We need to talk."

"Zenitsu, please!"

"But I want to go with Nezuko-chaaan!"

Tanjirou was trying to unhook the blond man's hands from his sister's clothes, whom they were taking to the garden, since they would soon come to pick her up. She didn't complain, even patted the blond head as they walked. Tanjirou wanted to return to the room after visiting Nezuko, but he had problems one after another. They had required him for hours to talk to him about the medicine, the ingredients that had to be recovered again... It was a time that he could not invest either of them. He had left Inosuke halfway in an argument that needed to be ended. All because his anger over the failure of the medicine was mixed with that of hearing the word "stupid" as an adjective for her sister. Realized later, calmer, that the demon did not mean it, it was just his typical way of speaking. He always used words like that for anything. When Nezuko left, he would return to the demon and clarify everything. Turning the corner, the redhead collided with just who was messing with his head. He'd be glad to see if it weren't for...

The wild boy was static at the scene. More specifically, in the presence of the youngest of the Kamado siblings. His single elongated pupil seemed to react, becoming thinner.

"Oh no..." Zenitsu murmured, starting to panic silently.

Actually, Inosuke wasn't the threat, he didn't have enough strength to even face a low-division slayer. The problem lay in bodily reactions; the contraction of his pupil, the sudden growth of his nails and fangs. Changes that, under the sight of Nezuko, who had learned that those signs were of imminent danger. She reacted as such when threatened. She roared in anger, and before launching into the other, both swordsmen caught her. It was too strong, they couldn't hold her long. Meanwhile, the other demon tried to control his own instinct so that he was not the one who launched into a suicide fight. The other two were praying internally for him to regain her judgment, not to attack.

"Nezuko, no!" Tanjirou spoke to her, waiting to be heard. Turned his reddish gaze to the wild kid, who cringed and clutched his head in an internal struggle. "Inosuke, go away!" tried the same with him. Unlike the little woman, the other demon gradually relaxed his body after hearing the redhead's voice.

"Ngh!" he complained a little. "Kentaro, I have to-!" He tried to approach, releasing his head with a painful grimace, but the other's scream stopped him for a moment.

"Stay away!"

"But...!"

"Go away!" didn't know how long they could hold Nezuko. Zenitsu was slipping on the ground, being dragged along by her advance.

"It's very import-!"

"INOSUKE, GO AWAY, YOU DISTURB HERE! -It was not the best way to say it, but it was true. His presence was negative at the moment for himself, Tanjirou didn't want him to be hurt because of his sister.

And Inosuke didn't know how to interpret it. He stood still, his eyes abnormally wide and lost, feeling his soul collapse against the ground. His whole body seemed to tremble and lose the will to live. He began to back away slowly, trying to believe that he hadn't said what was ringing over and over in his ears. He turned around and ran, but not in the right direction.

"Where are you going?!" The blond made sure of his course.

"No, wait, Inosuke! Not that way!"

Unable to stop him for controlling a Nezuko outside herself, they watched in panic as the wild boy crossed the threshold of the door and bathed in the last rays of the evening sun that had not yet left. Smoke began to envelop him. And he didn't care. He ran incessantly, not caring if he lost a leg in the decomposition process, until he jumped over the fence and disappeared behind it.

Even having hidden himself from any gaze and the light thanks to the shadows of the treetops, he continued to run through the trees and bushes, fleeing his own pain. The one who stuck a thousand and one times in his heart and pierced his lungs without mercy. The uncomfortable tingling that spread, poisonous, through his circulatory system clouded each of his senses, especially that of sight and touch. Didn't know how she still had tears after shed so many with Genya. He stumbled over a shallow branch and fell flat on the ground, smearing dirt and leaves. He didn't get up, but instead knelt and curled up on himself, sobbing all alone in the middle of nowhere.

"I tried to warn you."

Inosuke snapped his head up, looking defensive, once again meeting those crimson irises created from the purest evil. Strangely, he relaxed his muscles in front of him and looked down again. Not knowing what movements would hover over himself, he did not move as he heard the hard soles of the leather boots approach and stop. His face was lifted by the chin and, under a state of surprise and confusion, his tears were wiped away by the cold thumbs of the purest demon.

"It doesn't matter how long your friends have been. Once you transform, they abandon you in one way or another, they consider you a monster even if they don't say so. They don't trust you and keep it to themselves. And you believe. You believe in his kindness, in his hope... And really, the only thing they feel towards you is grief."

His bony hand was slapped by the boy's in a quick, rabid motion.

"I don't care what you say. Maybe it works for everyone, but what other people think no matter to me."

"You're hard... "he began to walk slowly around Inosuke. "Not enough, though."

Tanjirou cut all the branches that got in his way, moving faster that way. He had left Nezuko in Zenitsu's care when she calmed down a bit. The blond would arrange for her to be picked up while he searched for Inosuke. It wasn't too far, could smell him. Was so sorry he had yelled at him like that. He was so upset, unstable. And not because of their discussion, but because of everything that had been happening that disastrous day.

"It's fine if you don't want to hear about it." finished turning him all the way around and made a graceful jump to a huge rock, standing much higher. "You have proven to be an unpredictable and dangerous enemy." an irregular and solid sculpture of materialized blood perched next to his elegant figure and pointed, from there, sharply, towards the neck of the youngest. "I'm sorry to have to kill you, your power would have been my victory. But it's the best time to take advantage of the fact that you have lost your strength. I can't let you get it back again and give me more problems."

"I won't give problems again. To anyone..."he whispered the last three words, his gaze not visible because of his bangs and the shadow of the boar's nose. Raised an eyebrow at Muzan, who lowered his attack, interested and curious. Inosuke rose from the ground and nailed his multicolored irises from below, piercing for a moment through all of Kibutsuji's psychological defenses, who evidently noticed him with a deep chill, as if he had an indomitable beast before him. "I have a deal for you."

The great demon's smile widened, terrifying, intimidating.

"At last we speak the same language, Beast Demon." faded the attack, ready to negotiate.

Inosuke closed the eyes and pressed the jaw. When he opened them, the decision was made. Drew his swords and spear and untied the pink bow on his thigh that held the dagger. He dropped everything to the ground, unarmed, and took a few steps forward.

"I accept your proposal. I will be your Second Moon."

Neither of them paid attention to the sword cuts heard in the distance, slowly approaching.

"It's the best decision." and Muzan was very satisfied. "But you're not done..."

"You won't have me dominated like the rest of your pets. I will complete each of your missions. But you won't rule in my life above myself, I won't adore you like the rest of assholes."

"It seems to me a good agreement. A power like yours doesn't come cheap." He wiped off one of his nails. "The simple fact that you fulfill my plans makes any valid sacrifice." the thing that interested him the least was having him against it. As long as they were both satisfied, everything would go smoothly for Kibutsuji. "If you break the deal, I will have no mercy in ripping your head off. And if I break it... "he chuckled. "Well, it's not really convenient for me to do it, it would be terrible for me if I did it."

Ready to seal it, he raised his arm in the direction of Inosuke to signal him to come closer. But his limb was cleanly amputated at once, something that caught both demons by surprise. Tanjirou had appeared out of nowhere between the two of them, face to face with Muzan, looking at him with a deep and dark hatred. Even more threatening when the arm regenerated.

"I don't know what you were saying, but forget it." he growled deeply his words. Had seen all of the wild boy's weapons thrown, was not going to allow himself to be checked out now. "He will never listen to you."

"It's a little late for it, demon slayer."

The redhead had no idea what he was referring to. He could only see how Inosuke surrounded him and advanced. Did not leave him. The redhead grabbed his pale arm to stop him and pull him for the waist. Was not going to detach himself from him.

"Oh, how touching. But it's still too late." Under the viperine words of Muzan, the younger demon made space between himself and the redhead, pushing him very lightly and without letting him see his face. This greatly confused the swordsman, who continued without allowing his partner to distance himself. He was not hear to Kibutsuji, he would only listen to the wild kid.

"Inosuke... what are you doing? What happens?" wanted to hear from his voice why he was so quiet, why he tried to walk away as if he was being forced by something else.

"You don't understand it? Can't you feel it?" the adult scoffed from his position. "I do not know your history, nor your problems. But stop for a moment and use your senses." the moment he managed to mislead him, he carried the other demon onto the rock, leaving him sitting next to him. "He has a broken heart and soul. Someone recently stepped on them. Possibly it was today, the negativity and the darkness feels very fresh."

Tanjirou was breathing fast, with difficulty, not wanting to hear what Kibutsuji said. He wanted Inosuke to object, to raise his deep voice to deny it. Waited and waited to hear him say it was a lie. But it didn't happen. His sense of smell didn't fool him either, the young wild really was ripped to shreds. And it was his fault. He knew how sensitive Inosuke was deep down inside, and yet he allowed himself to be carried away by a bad mood and yell at him about that ugly thing.

"Inosuke... I didn't want... I didn't really say it. I-I'm sorry, I..."

"It's still late. Everything is already agreed." interrupted the painful sobs, according to himself, of the swordsman, who was ignoring him, not interested in his useless and harmful words.

"I shouldn't have gotten angry, it was a mistake! You are not a hindrance, I just wanted you to leave there, Nezuko was escaping us!" He waited a second for a reply that did not come. "Inosuke, I love you! Please!" He wiped his wet eyes violently. Was so relieved to see those eyes turn toward him at last, also on the verge of tears, though bright with hope.

"We don't have time for this, boy." With one hand he took the smallest demon's to attract his attention, and as soon as had it, placed the bony palm of his other hand on that luminous emerald. A strong, brief flash shot out from between the gaps in his long fingers. And after that, a short painful scream from the young man, and another furious one from the second boy who launched himself at them.

The redhead began to defend himself with his sword against the sudden materialized shadows of Muzan that tried to grab him and prevent him from approaching. They were too fast for him. Bound by them, he twisted with all his might, exploding in anger because Kibutsuji had hurt the wild kid in a creeping way. Inosuke had shrunk, covering his left eye in vague attempts to remove the burning. Actually, the pure demon did not do it out of pleasure or whim... When the youngest raised his head to look at the immobilized swordsman, he could witness it.

"No..."

The number was complete, both irises were complemented by two trapped rainbows, in a kanji for each, naming their Moon position. That emerald so green had been stolen. Beneath his reddish, narrowed pupils, Muzan reached down, put his arm under the smaller ones, and lifted Inosuke up. Once on his feet, he did not withdraw, still holding him. He raised his fine chin slightly with his free hand, allowing the redhead to see him better.

"Take a last look at him, demon slayer."

Both young men stared at each other with fear, terror, anguish, worry, regret, new tears, pain. But one of them shed a little light. Inosuke changed his expression, smiled a soft, sincere, reassuring smile. And his gaze, despite not being his own eyes, expelled the purest and brightest love. There was no need for words to interpret it, and with the help of its aroma, the redhead was able to understand him. The demon loved him and transmitted the message that he was going to be fine despite having his spirit shattered.

Under one last heartbreaking scream from the young redhead, unable to accept it, the strange portal hovered over both demons and swallowed them up as Tanjirou was released and fell to the ground. He did not want to get up. Instead, he started hitting the land with the back of his fist, spilling lakes and seas. He had hurt him, did not protect him, did not listen to him. And now they both paid for their only fault.


	19. Kiba, Upper Second Moon

"I don't understand for what." That grumpy voice rose in the great infinite room, exempt from any law. "Why do we meet again?" he roared.

Kokushibou stayed away from the younger demon, completely ignoring his complaints and keeping his six eyes hidden under his tousled and parted bangs. He raised the head slightly just before Nakime's strings vibrated and rang in his ears, giving way to the presence to who they swore allegiance.

"For good reason, Kaigaku."

Muzan's voice spun the rough demon. Only three Moons remained; the First, the Fourth and the Sixth. Ironically, two of them were swordsmen.

"My lord..." he showed respect.

"Who is she?" Kokushibou's soft voice rose slightly in the echo of his dimension. The thick-browed demon looked at him in confusion, for he saw no one else.

"As sharp as ever, Kokushibou. Although not so much this time." Kibutsuji always ended up satisfied with him despite being wrong about the biologic sex of the new one. Behind his body, and pushing him lightly with one hand on his pale back, he advanced the young man until he was positioned next to him. His colorful and familiar eyes caught the attention of demons, but they said nothing. They could not interrupt their leader. "Inosuke Hashibira, born the night we closed our attack on the Demon Slayer Corps. Despite his demonic young age, he has been shown to match the strength and power of the Upper Moons. And for a short time... match my own." That would have been taken as a joke if it wasn't for Muzan never joked. If he said that tadpole was so powerful... then it was true. They were afraid to hear that he managed to match his leader for a moment. Kaigaku wanted to scream, annoyed, how was that possible. And ask why they didn't kill him there before he could charge each of them and risk dying one by one. He felt weird, he couldn't stop looking at that little boy. The agile fingers of the leading demon slightly opened the lips of the smaller and showed with it the peculiarity of its fangs; huge, sharp, brutal. He left it after two seconds of inspection and an aggressive growl that did not please the remaining duo. "Inosuke Hashibira dies today to make way for the official birth of Kiba, the Beast Demon. Direct descendant of the former Upper Second Moon Douma, he will replace the position of his... -He remained silent for a second, widening his filthy smile and raised his head to the front. -Creator. One of Douma's assassins and the young slayer who has exterminated more of our own. His food isn't humans, but the demons themselves." Kaigaku was so close to interrupting, the vein in his neck swollen with misunderstanding and possible fear. "Are you scared, Kaigaku?"

For the first time in all the time, Inosuke smiled an almost imperceptible sly smile. That demon was afraid of him, and that made him feel good. Was holding back himself a lot, he saw them as delicious aperittives despite being the weaker at the time. Kibutsuji was aware, and was, in some strange way, proud of that self-control. But he could not relax, it had to be perfected so that he was not a threat to his Moons.

"No, my lord!" He knelt down and almost hit the forehead against the ground, slightly shaking. He couldn't be afraid of a guy with a girlish face and a slim body. It was impossible. "I'm restless! If he's so powerful, is it not a risk that he will devour us?"

"No." fast and concise. "He's our ultimate weapon, and as such we must keep him in good care until the day comes again..." he paused. "Kokushibou." he called firmly, to which the other kneeled. "You will be in charge of feeding Douma's boy in conditions and training him to help regain his strength. The slayers have been bad at care him. With him here, we don't need to be numerous." He tore a piece of meat off his arm under the surprised and confused looks of his subordinates. Quickly, he regenerated himself and offered the chub, without any intention, to the younger demon that was still at his side.

The wild kid raised an eyebrow at him as took the gift in his hands. And without thinking twice, he bit and pull, ripping off skin and bloody raw meat. He felt so satiated with just that bite, so calm. And disgustingly delicious. The slight blush of pleasure on his cheeks was more than enough to let him know that he was very satisfied and happy with his appetizer. Although it was disgusting in the eyes of others, he devoured like an animal, very quickly, as if someone could take it away of him at any moment. Made the other young demon swallow hard. That was much worse than a demon, he was a damn monster.

"I will comply with his care, my lord." Kokushibou accepted the orders without question, still kneeling on the floor.

"I didn't wait something less." He paused and squinted at Inosuke, who delighted in his meat. "That will be enough for two weeks without hunger. And you will regain half your strength." such a small piece... It was evident that its meat was pure. "Are you feel it, Kiba? That energy that multiple lunches and dinners could not give you. Now you will feed properly. And it will continue to be so while you are under our tutelage."

Evidently he felt it, he could feel every tissue in his body vibrate, filling his cells with an activity that seemed infinite. Muzan's poisonous blood did not work with him at this point, being a demon from before taking it as sauce for that piece. The only thing this could offer him was power and strength, and he didn't even need the first, but it always good. Kibutsuji had made a wonderful investment in obtaining it, nothing else mattered. Even if all his Upper Moons were exterminated, as long as the wild boy was with him, would never be defeated even by the slayer with the most Breaths on Earth.

Tanjirou ran into the estate, desperate, about to spit out his tense heart that threatened to burst his entire diaphragm. He was holding Inosuke's four weapons under one arm, the ones that lay on the ground when he reached him. Looked for Kanao everywhere, but did not find her. He needed her to raise the alarm from her Pilar title. Desperately reporting that Kibutsuji had taken Inosuke to have him in their ranks, that something had made him accept, since the wild man would never have said yes to joining him. Blackmails, threats... Anything could have influenced him. The little demon was like that; very influenceable.

"Tanjirou!"

He heard Zenitsu's voice come from a few corridors beyond, so followed with tears burning his red spheres. Sped up the speed, taking long, quick strides of agony until he saw the blond.

"Zenitsu, he's taken him!" The saline rivers flowed again. "Muzan has taken him!"

Ce crashed head-on into him, without throwing him, hugging with helpless force with one arm, yelling unutterable insults against the other's shoulder. He could barely speak, his tears easily spread. Zenitsu wanted to talk, tell everything, but the redhead had cried out, seeing him so devastated. He could only manage to gradually take away the weapons, without the redhead objecting.

"I told Inosuke to do it."

Genya's deep voice boomed in the red swordsman's ears, analyzing every word as best he could. Slowly released Zenitsu and looked at the other boy, leaning lightly against the wall, staring at him without blinking with his terrifying black eyes. But Tanjirou was not afraid of his appearance. The disbelief took a couple of steps toward the man, his eyes dry and the cheeks wet.

"Tanjirou, let him-"

"Zenitsu." The deep, hoarse tone was enough to silence the blond, without breaking violent eye contact with Genya. "Why? What did you say to him?" he growled, clenching his fists. "You're not supposed to be a bad guy, I trusted you!" They had not tried much between them, but the redhead always saw kindness under that black armor. Now, he was no longer sure.

"I just followed orders."

"What orders?!" That tedious day seemed to never end, and he had already reached his limit. Without controlling himself too much, he hooked the other by the clothes, pulling hard towards himself. Their heights currently resembled. Zenitsu took Tanjirou's arm and stepped forward as he spoke.

"The Pilars decided! He just gave you the message, it's not his fault!" the blond did not want a fight between those two, both were very difficult to stop when they really started fighting. He thanked heaven when the redhead released the other and proceeded to look at the blond in surprise, unpleasant surprise. "He told me when you came out after him..." He slightly tightened the weapons, turning his golden gaze away.

"It's a mission, let him do his duty as a slayer. You can't claim to protect him from his own work." the dark boy snorted.

He didn't understand it. What kind of suicide mission was that? Go with the enemy. What the hell were the Pilars thinking about? Inosuke was still weak, they would kill him with one hit if something went wrong! Couldn't sit idly by, and he wasn't going to wait for the next day.

"I want explanations, and I'm not going to wait until dawn." sentenced, leaving the other two alone. In the midst of his thunderous steps, he took out of his haori that pink bow he had given him long ago. Looked at it and brought it to his chest, squeezing it in the fist. His eyes sparkled, hot and dissatisfied.

Destroying the enemy from within, those were the keywords that kept Inosuke's head focused on his mission. One that only he could execute. Muzan's intense desire to get hold of him was obvious from the first moment, he wanted the wild demon in his hands as a weapon, did not have to be very intelligent to realize it. His constant appearances around the estate were sufficient. If the Pilars had been his goal, he wouldn't have risked visiting the same place over and over again. After a long time of indecision, the fact that Inosuke gave himself up was considered the best. Infiltrating as a spy and extracting information was not the only thing they obtained, but they took advantage of the fact that Kibutsuji himself would help the young man regain his power and strength. The adult demon was not stupid, he would have unleashed his plan completely and could have killed him, it was a risk they needed to take... But Tanjirou's sudden appearance and the genuine feelings of pain, anguish, love and betrayal were the perfect veil for Muzan bit the hook. And it had been by sheer luck. It wasn't planned, which made Inosuke's performance more credible towards the bigger demon. Demons would properly instruct him to become a much more lethal creature than he originally was. And the freedom conditions he enjoyed were perfect for communicating with the Demon Slayer Corps. If Muzan broke his agreement and tried to control his exits, would only lose his precious weapon, or worse, he turned against him again. He didn't rent to try to mess with the wild kid, and that made him very angry. Was on the ropes and there was nothing he could do. Although nothing bad had to happen, he just had to help him become powerful again and then take advantage of him. The young man also couldn't break his promise after having gotten his part, you couldn't have so little sense of honor as to destroy such an agreement in the middle of payment, not even Kibutsuji would do.

Walked in silence through clear and dark paths bathed by the moon, inclined and descending, after the light footsteps of that demon with a rowdy ponytail. He was a swordsman, his appearance was more than evident, and even more so because of his sword on one side of his hip. He had no idea where he was taking him, just ignored a slight "come with me". Hardly an hour had passed and he already hated him to death. He was too quiet. Inosuke got on his nerves. Although he had not deigned to speak to him either. Until got tired.

"Who are you?" asked, annoyed, stretching the boar's head down to cover his nose and completely forgetting what he had decided on his face. He received no immediate response, which made him growl.

"Kokushibou, Upper First Moon." was the only thing he said, because he knew that the younger was not deaf and he perfectly heard why they should be together from that moment on.

"Only that?" He crossed the arms, not believing he was having a conversation with a demon and it was not to swear to kill him. It seemed strange and uncomfortable to him, but it must be so.

"Like you." didn't look at him, he just walked and walked without stopping.

Inosuke didn't understand immediately, it took him a few long silent seconds to realize that this meant that all demons acquired a new name when dealing with Muzan.

"Ah... and where are we supposed to go, Kukobasi?"

"Kuko... What?" for the first time since he made an appearance in his rainbow eyes, the adult turned his head slightly, without looking at him completely, with a confused expression multiplied by three.

"Where the fuck are we going?!" struggled internally not to bite off his head. He was really upset, had a terrible day.

"I won't respond to disrespects." he put the head back to the front, gently wagging that ponytail.

"What respect? You're a demon." he spat scornfully.

"You too."

Silence.

It had been a double-edged sword and he had been cut. Ducked his head and pressed into his jaw, gnashing the teeth.

"I'm not like you." murmured, trying to hold back the anger so as not to screw up the plans. Luckily, Kokushibou did not reply, allowing him to have the last word and remain moderately at ease.

They did not mediate more words the rest of the trip. They reached the slopes of the mountain that were descending, without haste. Beyond, the wild kid could glimpse an old house, although in good condition. The slightly gnawed wood seemed to have been treated, the roof was not sunk despite having been there for decades, or even centuries. It had doors and windows, and not a single piece of its outer walls rested on the ground, untied. To his surprise, they were heading towards it. His pulse began to race and hit the chest hard. There could be a family, or a couple, who had kept that home by inheritance. Oh, no... He knew what was coming, what all the demons did when they approached human civilization, and he was not going to joke that way. Stopped dead in his tracks, not knowing exactly how he was going to deal with the situation. He was trying to think, to consider what Tanjirou would do in his situation, but he couldn't. Wasn't as smart as him. Mentally he repeated himself over and over again to think, to no avail. He growled under his breath and decided to just let his body work. It was impossible to ask his brain for help. His legs strayed out of the way and he made an attempt to run away, but when took the first stride, he hit the chest of the greatest demon. The bounce sent him back to avoid falling, and he narrowed his eyes at his obstacle. It made her sick to see those three pairs of marbles. If he had only one pair wouldn't mind. It painfully reminded him of Spider Father who almost ended his life just because he had so many eyes. Felt indirectly threatened by memory and likeness.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Kiba." His soft voice echoed with the whistles of the night wind. "My duty is to take care of you, so go ahead and enter at home."

At home? That changed the grimace of the boy, who showed by his lips that he was slightly confused. There were no humans, then. Was that where that demon spent his time when he did not provoke massacres? Bit the lower lip, still suspicious. But he didn't resist when the adult pushed him lightly with the hand. It was strange, all his touches were gentle... Didn't understand anything. They stopped in front of the door and it was unlocked. Could not believe it. Had a key and a lock, too! He had never heard of a demon that really had a home of his. It was unheard of. The hinges creaked softly as the door opened. He entered slowly, guided by the hand that touched his back above the fur. Moonlight illuminated the old but preserved furniture. The old kotatsu gave it that familiar touch. It was small, a three-room house. it was worth it to Inosuke even if had only one. Or none, the houses were not in his life until he met his friends. He was so distracted inspecting the place that he didn't notice when Kokushibou had closed and lit some candles to improve the lighting.

"Do you really live in a house?" He still found it hard to believe. He was not answered because of the silly question he had asked. Didn't like being ignored. Showed his disagreement with yet another grunt. He didn't know how many times he had done it in less than a night. Sat violently on the ground and crossed his arms and legs. Then, what? All he could do was watch the demon slowly come and go around the house. He furrowed his eyebrows hidden under the questionable acts of the other, who had left another room with... a futon? Yes, he could see that it was when he placed it on the wood of the floor. Ah, not only had he taken out a futon. Kokushibou leaned down beside him and left a yukata looking as old as the house, but still in good condition and clean. Upon seeing him up close, he made sure that the adult was now wearing a similar one.

"What the hell are you doing?" He was extremely confused with his behavior.

"This is your refuge now. As such, you can use its amenities." He gave no further explanations. Got up and moved through the rooms again. Behind the thin wall of one, he could be heard again. "If you have shame, you can change in the bathroom." and returned to the main room. He seemed to be looking for or preparing something.

"Shame?! Me?! Hah! That's a human things." He did not say it because he was a demon, but because he considered himself more a wild creature, and they did not need those emotions of shame regarding the body.

Confident and without any rush, he quickly undressed and donned the yukata, somewhat open at the legs and chest. Although at least he tied it up. Well, the boar head didn't budge from his head. It concealed insecurities from him and he did not plan to let an Upper Moon notice them through the windows of his soul.

"You should rest."

He spun around, surprised to have the adult demon beside him, sitting with his lap and legs under the cloth of the kotatsu. Inosuke had neither heard nor seen him. Haven't even felt his vibrations until now. It was evident that he was the Moon with more power... His rainbow eyes descended into each other's rough hands. He would run the edge of a razor over a piece of wood, dropping the fine curls and splinters onto the table. It was all too uncomfortable. Should be trying to cut off his head! And instead, he was gawking at the graceful movements that peeled the surface of the shapeless figure. He clicked his tongue, annoyed.

"Why should I listen to you?"

"The strenght that Mr. Muzan's flesh gave you will settle more efficiently if you rest."

Inosuke rolled his eyes. He didn't have to lie to them, they were supposed to be trying to make him really strong, without cheating. More than anything because they also needed that power.

"I will do it because I feel like it, not because you told me, Kabokusho."

"You are not very good at names..." he murmured, without looking at the smaller at any time.

"What do you care?!" roared and opened the futon behind him. He growled nonstop as settled himself carelessly under the blanket.

"You're very similar to Kaigaku." For a moment Kokushibou thought they could share blood ties because of their personalities and neither of them knew it.

"Who the hell is that?" He propped up his elbow only to twist his torso and look the other way, more specifically, at the demon's broad back.

"It doesn't matter now." He could know his answer was not to the boy's liking. "There's little left for dawn."

He knew it, that meant he would be locked up with that guy for a whole day. It was an ordeal to think about it, he did not imagine living it when the sun came up. His only and best option was to fall asleep and not be aware of that pedantic guy. He turned the back on his again and the house fell into a deep silence accompanied by the soft sounds of the razor peeling the wood. Kokushibou was not someone easy to disturb, his mettle was enviable. A humble and self-critical demon, without problems to accept his mistakes. But cold and strict. He was not manipulated by blackmail or tantrums. And if he set standards, they had to be followed. He abandoned his task for a moment, turned on his knees and took the boar head with enviable subtlety. It was not his belongings, therefore he would treat it with the greatest possible care to avoid damaging or staining it. He got up and picked up the scant clothes that the youngest had thrown on the floor. He left it all together and placed in one of the closest corners. He returned to his seat in the kotatsu, but before continuing his artistic craftsmanship, he glanced at the sensation of movement. The boy had wrinkled the entire blanket by positioning himself on his back with one leg stretched out. Disastrous, but not enough to make him upset. He took the bottom edges of the blanket and snapped them into place. He grabbed that slim leg and inserted it back into the futon, visualizing the top and noting how wrong he was wearing the yukata. He seriously wondered if he had ever dressed in one. First of all, caught the edges of the garment, brushing the pale skin of his chest and opposing clavicles with the hard knuckles, and closed the clothing with light pressure. Without being very conscious, remained observing his appearance. There were already beautiful Moons in the ranks of Kibutsuji, as was the case with Daki. But she could not be compared, the beauty of Daki loaded sensuality and narcissism, while that of this strange young man exuded purity, naturalness and sweetness. Not only his attractive image, but in his way of being he could also notice the same characteristics, except for the last one. He didn't understand... How did someone like that boy end up becoming a demon? He knew Douma was in the problem, but not in what way. He would let it be, it was none of his business.

"Rest good, Kiba."

Without further ado, he turned around and returned to his entertaining vigilante post, smoothing the cuts much more to keep the younger's dream intact.


	20. The reflection of Akaza and Douma

Tanjirou disagreed with everything. If he had known, would not have allowed it. The worst part was it made sense and was a very useful plan. But he refused to accept Inosuke taking such a risk, even though it was late. There was nothing he could do, the mission had been launched, and he was prohibited from intervening in it unless it was to gather and collect information. The messages by raven were not useful, the demon could not read or write. They had to choose to try to meet each night at a specific point outside any territory. They knew that the first few nights they would not hear from him. If they were in the place of demons, they would take advantage of the dark hours to train the boy until dawn. It was logical. They trusted Inosuke's stubbornness and his mania for opposing in any situation, that he was not going to be influenced by the beings he considered enemies. Still, Tanjirou couldn't get the worst situations out of his mind because of his excessive concern and sense of protection. The worst of the situation was that he had just woken up from his comatose state; He opened his eyes that afternoon and the next night he left with the enemy... As recent, as weak as possible. Easy prey. The only thing he was sure of was that Muzan would keep him out of the sun. That could reassure him during the day, since none of them could move from their shelters. Sighed heavily, and immediately, he felt a soft hand pat his head. Tturned his slightly muffled eyes to Nezuko, who was looking at him uneasily. He was worrying his sister, and couldn't allow that. Had to put up with his attitude in front of her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just was thinking." smiled with a forced sweetness and returned the caress. "I'm fine, seriously." but it did not seem to satisfy the younger, who made a tense sound with her vocal cords. "Trust me."

She just closed the eyes, getting into the pampering of her brother.

"But you should trust Inosuke." said Zenitsu, who was sitting on the wooden floor of the entrance.

"I do. I know-"

"You don't." he interrupted, watching how the redhead had been on the garden lawn for a while, creating a flower headband for Nezuko. "You're dying of anguish because you can't control the situation yourself." was not answered. "That guy has been alone on a mountain full of wild animals since baby. Since baby, Tanjirou! Do you really think he can't cope with being surrounded by bloodthirsty predators?" He was referring to demons at the time. Got up and accompanied them in his small circle, taking advantage to enjoy the closeness of the little woman. "Even she trusts him more than you!"

"Well, you win..." sighed again, rubbing his red hair back. "I know he can, though..."

"You fear losing him." Zenitsu touched his forehead, allowing himself to be more compasive. "I already know it. You love him so much everything scares you. You can't let it be like that and try to keep an eye on him all the time. I'm sorry to say it, but in the loving sense you're a controller, Tanjirou."

That didn't sound good at all. A controller? It sounded so... negative, so toxic. No, it couldn't go on like this. He didn't want to be that to the demon. Didn't want to deprive him of anything, and that also meant letting him carry out his own missions, his own fights. Bit his own lip in anguish. He would accept it, he just wanted to be the best boyfriend, and if he had to correct those brutal mistakes that could cause damage, he would do it. Would not allow their relationship to be intoxicated by his insecurities. Somehow, he had to mature in that regard. Didn't care if it was his first experience, he wasn't looking for a second one.

"I will work on that, I promise." placed that floral crown on Nezuko's head, and Zenitsu seemed to die of tenderness when saw her, forgetting the conversation and beginning to praise the beauty of Kamado sister. The redhead averted his eyes to the horizon of trees that rose behind the fence and the territories of the estate, expelling longing through his dark pupils. He wish knew where the wild boy was, if he was in good spirits, if he also missed him...

Inosuke wondered all this, if he had thought about him since he left, if he still loved him for having done it... Tried to tell him, even if Nezuko began to be violently. Tanjirou couldn't blame him for not making the attempt. And all he managed to do was make Tanjirou more angry. He hated the way they had said goodbye, had no plans for this to happen. He wanted kisses, hugs... not tears and suffering. Was staring blankly at the ceiling of that lonely home, imprisoned by thoughts that he didn't understand very well and that were not making him feel happy. His arms outstretched outside the blanket made him feel less trapped, although it was nowhere near a solution. How long would he have to be like this, away from his precious subordinates and his partner? Or more importantly, how much could he get through without going crazy and destroying the entire mission?

"What is it that ails you, Kiba?"

Kokushibou's velvety, deep voice rang gently in his distracted ears. He was standing, leaning against the sliding door that led to the only room for lodging, except for the room where Inosuke was.

"Huh?" did not understand what that word meant; **ails**. He hadn't heard it before, and didn't realize when the demon had peeked in either. He really had to improve his personal skills a lot, he couldn't allow him to be surprised like that and not feel any kind of vibration. He watched with his pair of rainbows as Kokushibou approached and sat cross-legged next to him.

"I'm responsible for your well-being, if you don't rest properly, I won't be doing my duty." He never meddled in anything, no matter what it was. He didn't even have extensive knowledge about demons or moons because of being so asocial and lonely. But the wild young man was his responsibility, so he had to meddle with him. And if it had to be personal to keep him physically and mentally stable, he would. Loyalty to Muzan was the only thing he took into account.

"And what do I care about your duty? Just make me stronger and go."

To the six-eyed demon the boy's lack of knowledge was evident.

"It doesn't depend on a simple training. Rest is crucial." He glanced sideways at the thin slits of light that leaked through the curtains without permission.

"I don't need to rest!" uncovered himself violently as he straightened up to sit down, but in a measly second he found himself lying on his back. In just a blink. The rough fingertips of the adult demon swordsman stood firm, but delicate, on his chest. He had made him descend with them with a push that Inosuke felt nowhere. Those multi-colored eyes stared, wide as saucers, into the two centers of the other demon, amazed, stunned. And still under that stupor, he watched without breaking eye contact as the other hand gently covered him with the thick sheet once again. That... felt warm. Dangerously warm. And Kokushibou perceived it.

"I don't know what you do in the Upper Moons, Kiba... This life isn't for you." He had realized Inosuke did not detached evil, desire for revenge, rancor or cruelty from any pore, just the opposite. He was innocent, capricious, responsive, indomitable... Although he could feel a desire for power, the boy was not desperate for it. Like a kid. But it was too late for him. Once entered he, did not exit. Or at least, not alive or intact. "Perhaps that's what prevents you from resting. Do you think you made a mistake?"

"No." was quick to reply. Nor did he jokingly consider taking a risk on that mission. It was his duty, and he saved lives with it, including Tanjirou's. It was more than enough.

"You miss your past life, then." He withdrew the hand from the smaller body. "Unfortunately, I can't do anything against the yearning you feel. You won't be able to return to the past, and it will be better for you to overcome it and forget everything you lived through and whom you knew before selfdestructs you."

Strangely, he seemed to know what he was talking about. But the wild boy did not listen to him. Believed that having no idea of his secret reasons, everything he said would be useless.

"Whatever you say, Kakisoba." he growled his misspelled name and turned to turn away.

"You have to collaborate. Do it just for yourself, I doubt you want to take longer than normal to regain your power." He knelt down to prepare to get up. "My mission is you, Kiba. And you won't be a failed mission." and without another word, he returned to the room and slid the door quietly.

"How heavy..." he whispered against the pillow, tucking an arm under it. Although he was right. If wanted everything to be fast and in the best way, had to collaborate with him and make him fulfill the task that Kibutsuji ordered him. He smiled to himself, determined and proud. Would show that boring demon his strenght, even if he ended up a thousand times on the floor.

And so it happened.

The expert blade bathed in the brilliance of the stars dug its point into the ground behind his bare and pale feet. Tangled with the sword and each other as he moved, and fell sideways onto the padded grass ground. His only task? Dodge or block. Didn't even have to attack. Kokushibou withdrew the weapon and stepped back.

"467 deaths." That number were the times that Inosuke had fallen in ten minutes, and therefore, the times they could have killed him for it. He had spent more than half of every second on the ground since he started. He was pissed off. Very pissed off. And that was what kept him firm and decisive, reluctant to surrender. The demon admired that quality when he had his 300th death, but he also considered it to be an enormous danger, both for the boy and for his opponent. Wasn't going to let him out of a workout early, either, so it was fine that way. And they wasted no time on anything else, Kokushibou hunted for useful demons to feed him each night before beginning. "Position." and while the minor got up, he took the same advice for the fifth time. "Channel your anger or eliminate it." As long as Inosuke didn't do something with it, would keep losing.

"Yes, it's worth it!" He got up while shouting it. Was sick of hearing the same phrases over and over as if the other had been stuck in time. Did not know how to eliminate his anger, that was impossible, he had always had it in his day to day, although it was also harmless. And the first option confused him. What was he supposed to do? He didn't quite understand the word "channel". A second later, when he realized it, the edge of the sword touched his neck, but it didn't squeeze or cut. He didn't have time to move or blink, so didn't even try, he was already dead again.

"468 deaths." and that had been one of the stupid deaths. "There's no room for distractions in the middle of a fight, make you an easy target." He pulled back that sword. "We won't stop until you stop or dodge only three attacks. If you don't make it, we'll be here until dawn. Without a rest."

It had to be a damn joke...

He didn't know how many days and nights had passed since then. He only knew that he had had the same training countless times, possibly more than the number of fingers on his hands and feet together. Kokushibou really seemed trapped in time, only changing the number of his falls always adding one more every two or three seconds.

Once again, Inosuke fell. He hit the butt on the ground and complained. That had hurt.

"1,728,005 deaths."

He was tired, desperate, angry. Had never heard so many numbers in his life, much less so long. He could swear that every time he fell hot steam came out of his ears and turned as red as Tanjirou's eyes. Ah, that fool's pretty irises... Visualizing him made him feel as if everything was fine, dissipated his anger and only left the feeling of well-being. Saw him smile at him and hear that melodious laugh dedicated only to him. Bright, imaginary fluffy cottons floated free around his head. His eyes hidden by the lower part of the boar's head clinked as much as the lonely stars of that night, dreamy and happy.

Kokushibou watched him fall back into distractions, and like the rest of the time, it would be yet another death. He slipped the sword horizontally at the young man's neck. Obviously, it would stop only when the edge will gently brushed against him, not before. His six eyes widened, being a slow-motion viewer of how the demon's torso flexed back effortlessly and dodged the full swing of his sword, which had not stopped. He came out of surprise within seconds, incorporating a natural position. Kokushibou didn't expect his first dodge to happen so soon. He was the fastest, the most impossible to avoid. The most powerful swordsman, the First Moon. Such training with another demon would have taken months, even a year, only to dodge once. And in just twenty days that boy took the first step. Even Douma didn't go that far avoiding attacks. He didn't do the Second Moon stand justice. What kind of demon was he and how exactly had he gotten out? It was the first time that he felt the need to get into subjects that did not concern him.

"Oh, yeah! Did you see that, Kukosabo?! I dodged you! Hah!" began to laugh and rejoice loudly. He needed to get that happiness out somehow, and couldn't think of anything but to run to a tree and ram it with the head. An act that made the other demon feel bewildered. He did not know how to react, that boy was a box of new surprises for him. He tried to come to himself, combing his ponytail.

"Celebrate when you complete the first part." He took advantage of the boy's distraction, the one he had repeated so much that he did not have or the same would always happen to him. And there he went again. Faster than a blink and stealthier than a slight summer breeze, he executed an upward diagonal cut. The most logical thing for him was to see that the boy had barely moved, but he managed to avoid it a second time just sticking like a piece of paper to the trunk, taking advantage of the current thinness he had. He came back again, unsure whether to be satisfied or concerned. "Ok, two in a row. One more and we will go to the next level of the first part."

Not even Inosuke knew how he had started to move forward like this. It didn't feel any different, except for... And then he realized, his scalded brain worked just fine at the time. He had been trying to train with no real goal, just thinking of winning for a mission that was making him nervous. It was as a result of starting to think about Tanjirou that he felt his body release. He had been wrong all along. Wasn't doing all that to be stronger, to complete his job or finish Muzan. Those were not his fights. His fight was for the redhead, he was his motive to fight and win, not just the fun of hitting. That he could always do and it was not something that would ensure his victory. He could fight for pleasure, but he would not win with that. However... with that in mind he wanted to protect who he longed for so much... He detached himself from the tree and took a few steps towards the older demon, with a determined, proud and confident gaze. He snapped his fingers and took up a position, taking on a provocative attitude.

"Now you're not going to take me down." His deep voice rang out in the other's ears in a different way, though he didn't have to focus on that. Was just following orders, and that was good. It meant that he was doing the task that Kibutsuji set for him well.

"There have been many demons this month... I'm so tired..." Zenitsu returned to the gates of dawn along with Tanjirou and the famous box. Both were injured, but could walk. " Everything hurts so much!" he whimpered. "We used to make less effort, it's not fair!"

"It's normal, Zenitsu. We were three fighting."

-Ahh... It's true." he sucked on the nose. "Waaah, I miss Inosuke!" He latched onto the redhead's haori and let himself slide to the ground, pulling him down.

"Hey, let me go, you're going to make me fall!" He was not the only one who missed Inosuke, his absences had always been brutally noticed throughout the environment. On the one hand, it was sad. They still had no news of him, but no one seemed concerned. And on the other, it caused him tenderness to see Zenitsu openly expressing that he wanted Inosuke back, that he felt more cowardly and weaker than he thought if the wild boy was not next to him, that he was bored without his games or grudges. Every day Tanjirou saw Zenitsu cry for him at some point. Sometimes he wondered randomly who the hell was more in love with the demon, himself or the blond. Obviously, it wasn't a suspicion or serious question. "Come on, the girls are waiting for us."

"Girls!" He stood up suddenly, and against the pain and wounds, he began to run like a soul carried by the devil, screaming for medical attention from his favorite little women.

Tanjirou laughed softly and was able to continue slowly and carefully so as not to injure himself further. Paused for a moment in front of one of the windows, watching the orange rays of light gently bathe the tops of the trees on the far green horizon. All that under a violet, pink and blue sky. A beautiful mix of colors that reminded him of those irises he hated and loved at the same time. Was Inosuke already sheltered? He knew nothing... If he was well fed, if he was well treated... The second was what tightened his chest the most. The demons were not kind, they were not compassionate, they were not sympathetic... What kind of hell was his beloved boyfriend going through? It hurt so much...

"HAHAHA! You fall further behind, old man!" Inosuke laughed, unable to stop at the expense of Kokushibou, who really didn't care.

"Distractions, Kiba." he repeated again. In the eyes of other, he could begin to resemble a father, brother or uncle who was tired for the younger to take it so lightly. Although this was not the case, his mettle was unwavering. He sat down in front of the kotatsu with a glass in his hands. "You have a big problem with distractions."

"Does matters?!" sat bolt up on the other side of the floor table, facing him. "I'm so fast when reacting that it doesn't matter if I'm distracted." He crossed his arms, proud.

"That will only carry you to death. Be more consistent." He drank a silent sip. "The Hashiras aren't going to be playing when the day comes."

Silence.

He had completely forgotten that demons thought he was on their side and that he was going to help exterminate the slayers. Heck... Kokushibou was right, he couldn't be distracted. Not because he was attacked in battles, but because he forgot about things by focusing on other. He was so focused on his training and thinking of leaving soon with Tanjirou he removed the main deception from his mind. For the first time in his life, he was thanking a demon. But only mentally, he wouldn't even say it out loud. The six-eyed man saw her expression and was satisfied, knowing she had finally heard him.

"What is that?" He changed the subject, asking about the contents of the glass. The other was surprised that he did not know.

"Just water."

"Really?" he couldn't believe it was something so simple and basic. Didn't see the contents, so he hoped it was blood.

"Blood doesn't stay fresh in a place like this." that was the reason why he didn't take it that way. "So, take advantage quickly when you go to eat, they will be the only moments in which you can drink."

He hadn't had a problem with it yet, but he would consider it. Also because the demons disintegrated and he had to be quick to feed. It was something that did not worry him either, he was used to being in a hurry.

Unfortunately for him, the price for it remained the same. The more he fed, the closer he was to losing his identity, his desired life. Kanao and Aoi's medicine was not a cure, it was only a pain reliever for his head, not to hear the screams of anxiety his demonic nature gave. They did not eliminate it, were still there, eating his own blood and making him gradually forget who he was.

And after two more weeks, the first symptom occurred.

"Boy." Kokushibou was leaving the house in the recent darkness after the wild kid, who was eager to continue his training. Since he started doing it right, was excited to think about the next level.

"Kiba!" and there it was... His name. He had forgotten his real name. Although listening it for so long also influenced a lot.

"Yes, sorry." He pulled a thick white bow out of his clothes and make of sturdy fabric. "Come closer."

"Why?" Despite not knowing why and asking, turned around and stopped when he was in front of the tallest. Kokushibou just turned him around, removed the boar head and began combing the two-colored mane with the fingers. "What the hell are you doing?" He did not like to have his boar head and fur removed. Received no response, just felt his scalp start pulling slightly and felt his long hair being pulled back. Since he came out, no one cut it again and it grew out of control.

"Like this it won't bother your face, and won't hinder your vision." When he finished tying the ribbon in a nice bow, he put the precious animal head back on.

Before they could say anything, they both fell into a hole that opened under their feet. The situation caught the younger one by surprise, who started screaming trying to control his body in midair. They fell non-stop into a hole that seemed endless. Inosuke envied the ease with which his mentor did it. Surely he would have gone through that situation many times. The man on his feet when the sudden ground came, unlike the wild boy, who crashed. He made multiple groans, rolling a little and getting up. Began to drop a bunch of expletives and gross complaints, one after another, as he spun around and kicked into nothing. Hardly seemed to breathe.

"Agh, shut up!" Kaigaku's jovial and annoyed voice echoed in that echoing room, capturing the other's attention.

"Hah?!" stopped walking in circles to head furiously towards the dark demon. Was not stopped by Kokushibou, that was no longer his concern. "You shut up!" He finished arriving to face him from a lower height, but he was not distressed.

"It's you who doesn't stop bellowing like a baby! You've been here a minute and you've already breacked my balls very hard!" he jabbed the pad of her index finger under Inosuke's chin, forcing him to raise the head.

"I'm not a baby, idiot!" swatted him to remove the damn finger. Instead, he grabbed Kaigaku by the clothes, pulling him in a menacing way. "You don't order me, coalhead!" a nickname, Kaigaku did nothing but sharpen his gaze and shorten the distance between them until their noses collided.

"Listen to me, little princess of woods! I don't care who you are, what you are for or how you look, if you're going to be bothering me I won't contain myself in beat you!"

"Do it, coward!" his smile of interest and emotion appeared then, causing a confused and incredulous grimace in Kaigaku, who did not know how to answer that. The wild boy was supposed to react the opposite way...

Before he could think to ask what the heck that guy had on his bluish head, Kibutsuji's heavy presence was felt over their bodies as Nakime's strings vibrated. Kokushibou dropped to one knee gently and Kaigaku eagerly rushed to imitate him. He put the hand on Inosuke's head and bent him down with all his might, forcing him to kneel down. But the other kid refused, and under a gasp of effort, freed himself from the elder demon, rose and watched Muzan from his position, showing no respect or devotion to him. He even frowned at him.

Already, it was over. It was the boy's end. That was what those present thought. And to their surprise... Kibutsuji completely ignored his wild and disobedient forms. Kokushibou could understand why a little, but the other two couldn't. One would not even speak, and the other was too scared thinking what would happen to him if he objected. They knew what that was... Inosuke was Muzan's new favorite.

But no, they were wrong. It was simply their deal, their agreement. Inosuke didn't have to prove anything to him, and Kibutsuji didn't have to punish him for it. The clauses were clear; power and "good life" in exchange for fidelity only in battle. Nothing else entered.

"I never imagined being a witness to this again." the great demon spoke about silence. "It feels..." he paused. "Nostalgic, isn't it, Kokushibou, Nakime?" They both nodded without making a single sound. "It's good to see that customs are not lost. They are almost the living image of Douma and Akaza when... they played to kill each other." Inosuke rolled his eyes and crossed the arms. Didn't even know who Kaaza was. "Leaving memories aside... You have to work, your ration of blood isn't free. And you already know what happens to those who stop meeting my expectations." His hard gaze was chilling, so much so that the wild boy was still not used to it. And never would. Muzan plunged deeply into the two young men, one feeling that he might die at that moment, and the other who did not care what kind of fool was in front of him. "Kaigaku.

"Yes, my lord!" He ducked the head, to which Inosuke giggled loudly enough that only he would listen. That ignited the anger of the lightning demon, who almost broke his teeth clenching.

"You will collaborate with Kiba in this mission."

"WHAT?!" It was the turn of Inosuke to lose the control, and Kaigaku returned it with the same coin; giving him a sly laugh that made the wild kid red with fury.


End file.
